DEERFOOT  ON 
THE  PRAIRIES 

EDWRD  S.  ELLIS 


.a 


Deerfoot  and  Whirlwind. 


NEW     DEERFOOT     SERIES 

Deerfoot  on  the 
Prairies 


BY 

EDWARD  S.  ELLIS 

Author  of  "Deerfoot  in  the  Forest,"  "Deerfoot  in  the 
Mountains,"  "An  American  King,"  "The  Cromwell  of 
Virginia,"  "The  Boy  Pioneer  Series,"  "Log  Cabin 
Series,"  Etc.,  Etc. 


Jllttfttatrt 

with  Eight  Engravings  by  J.  Steeple  Davis 

PHILADELPHIA: 

THE  JOHN  C.  WINSTON  CO. 
1905 


THE  J*EW  DEERFOOT  JERIEJ 

BY 

EDWARD  S.  ELLIS 

Illustrated  by 
J.  STEEPLE  DAVIS 

No.  1. — Deerfoot  in  the  Forest 
No.  2.— Deerfoot  on  the  Prairies 
No.  3. — Deerfoot  in  the  Mountains 


Each  contains  seven  half-tone  engravings  and  color  frontispiece, 
They  make  more  real  the  fortunes  and  adventures  of  the  heroic 
little  band  that  journeys  through  the  wilderness  and  prairies  from 
the  Ohio  to  the  Pacific.  It  was  in  the  time  of  daring  when  Lewis 
and  Clark  were  engaged  in  their  thrilling  expedition  that  the 
adventures  narrated  by  the  distinguished  author  of  boys'  books 
are  described  as  occurring.  Our  old  friends,  George  and  Victor, 
of  the  "Log  Cabin  Series,"  are  again  met  with  in  these  pages, 
and  the  opportunity  of  once  more  coming  face  to  face  with  Deer- 
foot  will  be  welcomed  by  every  juvenile  reader. 

The  New  Deerfoot  Series  is  bound  in  uniform  style  In  cloth,  with 
side  and  back  stamped  In  colors. 

Price,  single  volume -        $  1 .00 

Price,  per  set  of  three  volumes,  in  attractive  box    -       -      3.0O 


COPYRIGHT  BY 
THE  JOHN  C.  WINSTON  Co.,  1905 


CONTENTS 


PAOB 

CHAP  I.  WESTWARD  BOUND 9 

CHAP.  II.  THE  FIRST  CAMP 20 

CHAP.  III.  THIEVES  OF  THE  NIGHT 38 

CHAP.  IV.  AN  ACQUAINTANCE 52 

CHAP.  V.  A  CLOSE  CALL 69 

CHAP.  VI.  A  MISHAP 81 

CHAP.  VII.  JACK  HALLOWAY 95 

CHAP.  VIII.  GOOD  SEED no 

CHAP.  IX.  A  BATTLE  ROYAL 124 

CHAP.  X.  WHIRLWIND 141 

CHAP.  XI.  PHYSICIAN  AND  PATIENT 153 

CHAP.  XII.  A  HURRIED  FLIGHT 167 

(7) 


CONTENTS 

PACK 

CHAP.         XIII.     A  STARTLING  AWAKENING  ...   178 
CHAP.          XIV.     SHOSHONE  CALLERS 190 

CHAP.  XV.     A    QUESTION    OF    SKILL    AND 

COURAGE 202 

CHAP.  XVI.     WIRELESS  TELEGRAPHY 214 

CHAP.  XVII.     IN  THE  MOUNTAINS 226 

CHAP.  XVIII.     INDIAN  CHIVALRY 239 

CHAP.  XIX.     A  CALAMITY 251 

CHAP.  XX.     OLD  FRIENDS 262 

CHAP.  XXI.     PRESSING  NORTHWARD 275 

CHAP.  XXII.     A  CHANGE  OF  PLAN 287 

CHAP.      XXIII.     THE  MONARCH   OF  THE  SOLI- 
TUDES      299 

CHAP.       XXIV.  A  MEMORABLE  ENCOUNTER  .  .   311 

CHAP.        XXV.  THROUGH  THE  GREAT  DIVIDE  323 

CHAP.       XXVI.  PARTING  COMPANY 335 

CHAP.     XXVII.  DOWN  THE  COLUMBIA 347 

CHAP.  XXVIII.  AT  LAST 359 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGB 

FRONTISPIECE:    DEERFOOT  AND  WHIRLWIND 

DANIEL  BOONE  AND  DEERPOOT  .  . . 64 

"HELLOA  !  " 101 

A  BATTLE  ROYAL 135 

THE  ANGLO-SAXON  EVERY  TIME 207 

THE  CRITICAL  MOMENT 248 

A  WESTERN  MONARCH 303 

IN  THE  RAPIDS 355 


DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRfllRIES. 


CHAPTER  I. 

VESTWARD  BOUND. 

ONE  morning  in  early  spring,  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  last  century,  a  party  of 
four  persons  left  the  frontier  town  of 
Woodvale,  in  southern  Ohio,  and  started  on 
their  long  journey  across  the  continent. 

Do  you  need  an  introduction  to  the  little  com- 
pany? Hardly,  and  yet  it  is  well  to  recall  them 
to  mind. 

First  of  all  was  our  old  friend  Deerfoot,  the 
Shawanoe,  to  whom  we  bade  good-bye  at  the 
close  of  the  story  "Deerfoot  in  the  Forest," 
with  a  hint  of  the  important  expedition  upon 
which  he  had  decided  to  enter  with  his  com- 
panions. He  was  mounted  on  a  tough,  wiry 

9 


J6  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

pony  that  had  been  presented  to  him  by  his 
friend  Simon  Kenton,  and  which,  in  honor  of 
the  famous  ranger,  the  new  owner  had  named 
"Simon." 

This  horse  was  provided  with  a  bridle,  but 
that  was  all.  Deerfoot,  one  of  the  finest  of 
horsemen,  never  used  a  saddle.  He  said  the 
bare  back  of  a  well-conditioned  steed  was  more 
pleasant  than  a  seat  of  leather,  and  he  had 
never  yet  bestrode  an  animal  that  could  dis- 
place him.  On  this  trip  the  Indian  youth  car- 
ried as  his  principal  weapon  the  handsome  rifle 
presented  by  General  William  H.  Harrison, 
Governor  of  Indiana  Territory.  Deerfoot  had 
not  yielded  a  bit  of  his  faith  in  his  bow,  but 
that  implement  would  not  prove  so  handy  as 
the  other  in  an  excursion  on  horseback. 
Besides,  his  three  companions  had  begged  him 
to  leave  his  bow  at  home,  and  he  was  quite 
willing  to  do  so. 

Deerfoot  was  dressed  as  he  has  been  before 
described,  but  he  carried  a  long,  heavy  blanket 
that  was  strapped  to  the  back  of  his  horse 
and  served  in  lieu  of  a  saddle.  The  powder 
horn  and  bullet  pouch  suspended  from  his 
neck  were  as  full  as  they  could  carry.  He 


WESTVARD  BOUND.  U 

looked  so  graceful  on  his  animal  that  many 
expressions  of  admiration  were  heard  from  the 
people  of  Woodvale  who  had  gathered  to  see 
the  start.  Deer.oot  did  not  seem  to  hear  any 
of  the  compliments,  though  some  were 
addressed  directly  to  him.  He  was  never 
pleased  with  anything  of  that  nature. 

Little  need  be  said  of  Mul-tal-la,  the  Black- 
foot,  who  had  come  from  the  neighborhood  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains  on  an  exploring  expedi- 
tion of  his  own,  and  was  now  to  return  with 
the  Shawanoe  as  his  .comrade.  The  sturdy, 
shaggy  horse,  which  he  had  obtained  through 
the  help  also  of  Simon  Kenton,  was  accoutred 
like  the  one  ridden  by  Deerfoot.  The  blanket 
strapped  to  his  back  was  the  one  brought  by 
the  owner  from  that  far-off  region,  and  served 
him  also  as  a  saddle.  The  Blackfoot,  like 
nearly  all  the  Indians  of  the  Northwest,  was 
an  excellent  horseman.  Through  some  whim, 
which  no  one  understood,  Mul-tal-la  had  named 
his  animal  "Bug,"  a  title  so  unromantic  that 
for  a  long  time  it  was  never  heard  without 
causing  a  smile  from  his  companions.  Some- 
times Mul-tal-la  also  grinned,  but  nothing  could 
induce  him  to  change  the  name. 


J2  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

You  remember  the  grief  of  Victor  Shelton 
was  so  depressing  over  the  death  of  his  father 
that  he  surely  would  have  gone  into  a  decline 
but  for  the  ardor  roused  by  this  proposed 
excursion  to  the  Pacific.  The  prospect  was  so 
fascinating  that  he  came  out  of  the  dark  clouds 
that  gathered  about  him,  and  was  the  most 
enthusiastic  of  the  four. 

George  was  almost  as  deeply  stirred  and  in 
as  high  spirits  as  his  brother,  but  now  and  then 
a  tremor  of  fear  passed  over  him  when  he 
thought  of  what  they  would  have  to  pass 
through  before  their  return.  He  would  have 
shrunk  and  probably  turned  back  but  for  Deer- 
foot.  There  was  no  person  in  the  world  in 
whom  he  had  such  faith  as  in  the  young  Shaw- 
anoe;  but  there  is  a  limit  to  human  attainment, 
and  it  might  be  that  his  dusky  friend  would 
soon  reach  his  when  the  four  turned  their  faces 
westward. 

George  had  named  his  horse  "Jack,"  while 
Victor  called  his  "Prince."  All  were  quite 
similar  to  one  another,  being  strong,  sturdy, 
docile  and  enduring,  but  none  was  specially 
gifted  in  the  way  of  speed.  More  than  likely 
they  would  meet  many  of  their  kind  among  the 


WESTWARD  BOUND.  )3 

Indians  which,  would  be  their  superior  in  fleet- 
ness.  But,  if  danger  threatened,  our  friends 
would  not  rely  upon  their  horses  for  safety. 

Now,  in  setting  out  on  so  long  a  journey, 
which  of  necessity  must  last  many  months,  our 
friends  had  to  carry  some  luggage  with  them, 
This  was  made  as  light  as  possible,  but  pared 
to  the  utmost  there  was  enough  to  require  a 
fifth  horse.  While  of  the  same  breed  as  the 
others,  he  was  of  stronger  build  and  best  fitted 
for  burdens.  He  was  the  gift  of  Ralph  Genther, 
who,  you  may  recall,  was  beaten  in  the  turkey 
shoot  by  Deerfoot.  It  was  Genther  who  named 
him  "Zigzag." 

"  'Cause,"  explained  the  donor,  "if  you  let 
him  to  go  as  he  pleases,  he'll  make  the  crook- 
edest  track  in  creation;  he  will  beat  a  ram's 
horn  out  of  sight." 

Excepting  his  blanket,  Mul-tal-la  had  no  lug- 
gage which  he  did  not  wear  on  his  person. 
It  must  be  admitted  that  the  American  Indian 
as  a  rule  is  much  lacking  in  that  virtue  which 
is  said  to  be  next  to  godliness.  Despite  the 
romance  that  is  often  thrown  around  the  red 
man,  it  is  generally  more  pleasant  to  view  him 
at  a  distance.  Close  companionship  with  him 
is  by  no  means  pleasant. 


14  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

I  need  hardly  say  that  it  was  not  so  with 
Deerfoot.  He  was  as  dainty  as  any  lady  with 
his  person.  Kenton,  Boone  and  others  had 
laughed  at  him  many  times  because  of  his  care 
in  bathing  and  the  frequency  with  which  he 
plunged  into  icy  cold  water  for  no  other  reason 
than  for  tidiness  and  health.  The  material  of 
which  his  hunting  shirt  and  leggings  were  made 
allowed  them  to  he  worn  a  long  time  without 
showing  the  effects,  but  underneath  them  was 
underclothing  kept  scrupulously  clean  by 
Deerfoot 's  own  hands.  Only  his  close  friends 
knew  of  his  care  in  this  respect,  and  some  of 
them  looked  upon  it  as  a  weakness  approaching 
effeminacy.  And  you  and  I  esteem  him  all  the 
more  for  these  traits,  which  harmonized  with 
the  nobility  of  his  character. 

So  it  was  that  in  the  large  package  secured 
to  the  back  of  Zigzag  was  considerable  that 
Deerfoot  himself  had  wrapped  up,  and  with  the 
modesty  of  a  girl  carefully  screened  from  pry- 
ing eyes.  Aunt  Dinah,  had  she  been  per- 
mitted, would  have  loaded  down  two  horses 
with  articles  for  the  twins,  who,  she  declared, 
could  not  possibly  get  on  without  them.  As  it 
was,  it  is  enough  to  say  that  the  boys  were  far 


WESTWARD  BOUND.  13 

better  remembered  than  they  would  have  been 
if  left  to  themselves.  As  Victor  expressed  it 
when  he  saw  her  gathering  and  tying  up  the 
goods,  they  had  enough  to  last  them  for  a  jour- 
ney round  the  world. 

The  start  was  made  early  on  Monday  morn- 
ing, when  the  sun  was  shining  bright  and  the 
opening  spring  stirred  every  heart  into  life 
and  filled  it  with  thankfulness  to  the  Giver  of 
All  Good.  Men,  women  and  children  had 
gathered  in  the  clearing  to  the  north  of  the 
settlement  to  see  the  party  start  and  to  wish 
them  good  speed  on  their  journey.  Deerfoot 
and  Mul-tal-la  had  ridden  in  from  the  Shaw- 
anoe's  home  the  day  before,  so  that  the  start 
might  be  made  from  the  settlement. 

There  were  the  laughing,  the  jesting,  the 
merry  and  earnest  expressions,  with  here  and 
there  a  moist  eye,  when  the  travelers  were  seen 
seated  on  their  horses  and  pausing  for  the  final 
words.  The  one  most  to  be  pitied  in  all  the 
group  was  Aunt  Dinah,  who  was  bravely  trying 
to  hide  her  real  feelings  under  an  expansive 
smile,  in  which  there  was  not  a  shadow  of 
mirth  or  pleasantry.  She  stood  on  the  outer 
edge  of  the  boisterous  group,  her  folded  hands 


J6  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

under  her  apron,  her  eyes  fixed  on  the  boys, 
who  were  laughing,  shaking  hands  and 
exchanging  wishes  and  jests  with  their  friends. 

Suddenly  the  colored  woman  walked  forward, 
pushing  her  way  through  the  throng  to  the  side 
of  Deerfoot.  Then  she  drew  a  piece  of  old- 
fashioned  blue  writing  paper  from  under  her 
apron  and  handed  it  up  to  him.  He  looked 
smilingly  down  at  her,  and  she,  without  saying 
anything,  walked  back  to  the  fringe  of  people 
and  faced  around  again. 

Deerfoot  opened  the  slip  and  saw  some 
writing  in  pencil.  During  the  years  when 
George  and  Victor  Shelton  struggled,  with 
more  or  less  success,  to  obtain  a  common-school 
education,  Aunt  Dinah  had  managed  to  pick  up 
a  bit  here  and  there  of  elementary  knowledge. 
She  had  spent  a  long  time  the  night  before, 
groaning  in  spirit,  often  sharpening  her  stub 
of  a  pencil,  which,  of  course,  she  frequently 
thrust  into  her  mouth,  rubbing  out  and 
re-writing,  perspiring  and  toiling  with  might 
and  main  to  put  together  a  message  for  the 
young  Shawanoe's  eyes  alone.  Not  until  the 
other  members  of  the  household  had  long  been 
sunk  in  slumber  did  she  get  the  missive  in  final 
shape. 


WESTVARD  BOUND.  J7 

Some  of  the  letters  were  turned  backward, 
all  curiously  twisted,  the  lines  irregular  and 
the  writing  grotesque,  but  the  youth  to  whom 
the  paper  was  passed  made  out  the  following: 

*  '  Mister  Dearf  ut — i  f  eal  orf ul  bad  2  hav  u  go 
orf  with  them  preshus  babiz — pleas  tak  gud  car 
of  em,  and  bring  em  back  rite  side  up — 

"i'll  pra  4  u  and  the  babiz  evry  nite  and 
mornin,  and  if  i  doan  forgot  in  de  midle  ob  de 
da.  i'll  pra  speshully  4  u,  cause  as  long  as  ure 
all  rite,  they'll  B  all  rite. 

"Ant  Dine. 

"p.  s. — u'll  fine  rapped  in  paper  in  de  top 
bundel  sum  caik  dat  am  4  u  speshully,  but  u 
may  let  de  oders  hab  1  bite  if  u  feels  like  it — 
member  dat  i'm  prayin  4  u. 

"p.  s. — Doan  eet  2  mutch  ob  de  caik  2  wunst, 
or  it'll  maik  yo  syck — it'll  B  jus'  like  you  2  gib 
it  awl  to  de  oders,  but  doan  you  dootl  Eet 
mose  ob  it  yosellf. 

"p.  s. — De  caik  am  4  yo  speshully.  Ise 
prayin'  4  yo. 

"p.  .s. — Doan  forgot  Ise  prayin'  4  yo.  De 
caik  am  4  yo. 

"p.  s. — De  caik  am  yo's — Ise  prayin'  4  yo." 


J8  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

There  was  not  the  ghost  of  a  smile  on  the 
face  of  the  Shawanoe  while  carefully  tracing 
the  meaning  of  this  crude  writing.  He  gently 
refolded  the  paper,  reached  one  hand  within 
his  hunting  shirt,  and,  drawing  out  his  Bible, 
put  the  folded  paper  between  the  leaves  and 
replaced  the  book.  Then,  heedless  of  the 
clamor  around  him,  he  looked  over  the  heads 
of  the  people  at  the  lonely  woman  standing  a 
little  way  off  and  watching  him  with  manifest 
embarras  sment. 

Turning  the  head  of  his  horse  toward  her, 
he  deftly  directed  him  through  the  throng  and 
halted  at  the  side  of  Aunt  Dinah.  She  was  so 
confused  that  she  was  on  the  point  of  making 
off,  for  nearly  everyone  was  looking  at  the 
two,  the  action  of  Deerfoot  having  drawn  atten- 
tion to  the  couple.  Leaning  over  his  horse  he 
extended  his  palm. 

" Good-bye,  Aunt  Dinah." 

She  bashfully  reached  up  her  big  hard  hand. 
He  held  it  for  a  few  moments,  and,  looking 
down  in  the  ebon  countenance,  spoke  in  a  low 
voice : 

"Deerfoot  thanks  you;  he  is  glad  that  you 
will  pray  to  the  Great  Spirit  for  him,  for  he 


WESTWARD  BOUND.  J9 

needs  your  prayers.    Your  promise  is  sweet 
to  Deerfoot" 

Aunt  Dinah  did  not  speak,  for  with  every  eye 
upon  her  and  the  Indian  she  could  not  think 
of  a  syllable  to  say.  While  she  was  trying 
to  do  so,  Deerfoot  did  something  which  no  one 
ever  saw  him  do  before,  and  which  was  so 
strange  that  it  hushed  every  voice.  He  leaned 
still  farther  from  the  back  of  his  horse  and 
deliberately  touched  his  lips  to  the  cheek  of 
the  colored  woman.  Then  he  straightened  up, 
and,  without  a  word,  started  his  animal  on  a 
brisk  walk  to  the  northward,  the  others  falling 
into  line  behind  him. 


CHAPTEE  II. 

THE  FIRST  CAMP. 

IT  was  inevitable  that,  during  the  weeks  and 
months  spent  by  Deerfoot  and  Mul-tal-la 
together,  they  talked  often  and  long  about 
the  journey  to  the  Northwest.    At  night  in  the 
depth  of  the  forest,  by  the  crackling  camp-fire, 
or  when  lolling  in  the  cavern  home  of  the  young 
Shawanoe,  it  was  the  one  theme  in  which  both, 
and  especially  the  younger,  was  absorbingly 
interested. 

You  need  hardly  be  reminded  that  a  hundred 
years  ago  the  immense  territory  west  of  the 
Mississippi  was  an  unknown  region.  Teem- 
ing to-day  with  a  bustling,  progressive  people 
numbering  millions,  covered  with  large  cities 
and  towns,  gridironed  by  railways,  honey- 
combed with  mines,  humming  with  industry, 
and  the  seat  of  future  empire,  it  was  at  the 
opening  of  the  nineteenth  century  a  vast  soli- 
tude, the  home  of  the  wild  Indian  and  wild 
animal. 

20 


THE  FIRST  CAMP.  2J 

A  few  daring  hunters  and  trappers  had  pene- 
trated for  a  little  way  into  the  "  Louisiana 
Purchase, "  and  they  carried  on  a  disjointed 
barter  with  the  red  men,  but  the  fragmentary 
knowledge  brought  back  by  them  scarcely 
pierced  the  shell  of  general  ignorance.  Cap- 
tains Lewis  and  Clark  had  not  yet  made  their 
famous  journey  across  the  continent,  but  they 
were  getting  ready  to  do  so,  for  President  Jef- 
ferson's heart  was  wrapped  up  in  developing 
the  largest  real  estate  transaction  ever  made. 

It  may  be  said  that  Deerfoot  pumped  the 
Blackfoot  dry.  Had  that  enterprising  traveler 
kept  a  diary  of  his  journeyings  and  experiences 
from  the  time  he  and  his  companion  started 
eastward,  it  would  not  have  told  the  Shawanoe 
more  than  he  gained  from  his  friend  by  his 
continuous  questioning.  Deerfoot  traced  with 
a  pencil  on  a  sheet  of  paper  a  rude  map  of 
the  western  country,  based  wholly  on  the  infor- 
mation gained  from  his  guest.  He  made  many 
changes  and  corrections  before  he  completed 
and  filed  it  away,  as  may  be  said,  for  future 
use. 

Several  important  facts  were  thus  estab- 
lished, and  these  you  must  bear  in  mind  in  order 


22  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

to  understand  the  incidents  I  have  set  out  to 
relate. 

In  the  first  place,  the  home  of  the  Blackfeet 
Indians  a  century  ago  was  not  to  the  westward 
but  on  the  east  of  the  Bocky  Mountains,  as  it 
is  to-day.  In  order  to  reach  the  Pacific  Coast 
one  had  to  climb  over  that  great  range  and 
enter  the  country  of  the  Flatheads  and  numer- 
ous other  tribes.  Mul-tal-la  had  proved  his 
enterprise  as  an  explorer  by  doing  this  several 
years  previous  to  making  his  longer  journey  to 
the  eastward. 

When  Mul-tal-la  left  home  he  and  his  com- 
panion rode  southward  until  well  into  the 
present  State  of  Colorado.  Then  they  turned 
east,  passing  through  what  is  now  Kansas  and 
Missouri,  crossing  the  Mississippi  and  entering 
the  fringe  of  civilization,  for  they  were  fairly 
within  the  Northwest  Territory  organized  a 
number  of  years  before. 

Deerfoot  planned  to  take  this  route  in 
reverse.  Where  the  Blackfoot  was  impressed 
by  everything  he  saw,  he  had  retained  an  excel- 
lent recollection  of  the  route,  and  this  knowl- 
edge was  sure  to  be  of  great  help  to  Deerfoot 
and  his  friends.  The  course  to  be  followed 
may  be  roughly  outlined  thus : 


THE  FIRST  CAMP.  23 

A  little  to  the  north  of  Woodvale  the  party 
would  turn  westward,  crossing  the  present 
States  of  Indiana  and  Illinois  to  St.  Louis, 
Thence  they  would  follow  the  course  of  the  Mis- 
souri to  where  it  makes  its  abrupt  bend  north- 
ward. At  that  point  they  intended  to  leave  it 
and  push  westward  until  th^  time  came  to  head 
due  north  and  make  for  the  Blackfoot  country. 
This  in  a  general  way  was  the  route  upon  which 
took  place  most  of  the  incidents  recorded  in 
the  following  pages. 

When  the  border  settlement  dropped  out  of 
sight,  the  company  fell  into  what  may  be  called 
the  line  of  march.  Deerfoot  was  in  the  lead, 
next  rode  the  Blackfoot,  then  Zigzag  the  pack 
horse,  and  last  George  Shelton,  with  Victor 
bringing  up  the  rear.  The  rule  was  to  advance 
in  Indian  file  except  when  they  reached  the 
plains,  where  the  topography  permitted  them 
to  bunch  together.  In  fact  this  lining  out  of 
the  horsemen  was  necessary  most  of  the  time, 
for  the  trails  used  by  them  did  not  allow  two 
to  ride  abreast.  However,  it  permitted  free 
conversation,  so  long  as  there  was  no  necessity 
for  silence. 

Deerfoot  led  the  way  over  a  well-marked 


24  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

trail  which  was  familiar  to  him,  for  he  had 
traversed  it  often  by  day  and  by  night.  As 
was  his  custom  at  such  times,  he  rode  for  hours 
without  speaking  a  syllable.  There  was  no  call 
for  this,  but  it  was  his  habit.  He  heard  the  chat 
of  the  boys  to  the  rear,  George  continually 
turning  his  head  to  address  or  listen  to  his 
brother.  Deerfoot  did  not  care,  for  no  danger 
threatened  any  of  them,  and  he  was  pleased 
that  the  couple,  especially  Victor,  were  in  such 
overflowing  spirits. 

The  Blackfoot  showed  the  same  peculiarity 
as  the  leader,  and  which  it  may  be  said  is  char- 
acteristic of  the  American  race — that  of  silence 
and  reserve  when  on  the  march,  even  while 
there  is  perfect  freedom  to  converse.  The 
Shawanoe  would  not  have  objected  had  his 
friends  called  to  him,  but  they  did  not  do  so. 

At  the  end  of  half  an  hour  the  trail,  which 
led  directly  through  the  woods,  became  so  level 
and  open  that  Deerfoot  struck  his  horse  into  a 
gentle  trot.  Bug  did  the  same,  but  Zigzag  did 
not  seem  to  think  it  was  expected  of  him,  and 
continued  plodding  forward  at  his  usual  slug- 
gish gait.  The  load,  however,  which  he  car- 
ried was  not  burdensome,  and  George  Shelton 


THE  FIRST  CAMP.  25 

shouted  to  him  in  so  startling  a  voice  that 
Zigzag  broke  into  a  trot  so  vigorous  that  it 
threatened  to  displace  his  pack.  It  is  not 
impossible  that  the  animal  was  planning  for 
that,  but  the  burden  had  been  secured  too  well 
to  fall. 

Suddenly  Zigzag  swerved  to  the  right  and 
pushed  among  the  trees.  A  sharp  order  from 
George  brought  him  back,  and  then  he  dis- 
played a  tendency  to  wabble  to  the  left.  To 
convince  him  that  no  nonsense  would  be  per- 
mitted, George  galloped  nigh  enough  to  deliver 
a  resounding  whack  on  his  haunch  with  the 
stock  of  his  gun.  After  that  Zigzag  conducted 
himself  properly. 

"It  seems  strange,  George, "  said  Victor,  as 
well  as  his  jolting  horse  would  permit,  "that 
only  a  few  months  ago  we  were  in  danger  of 
our  lives  in  this  very  place,  and  now  we 
needn't  have  the  least  fear." 

"All  due  to  Dearfoot,"  replied  George;  "the 
whole  cause  of  the  trouble  was  Red  Wolf,  when 
he  started  to  climb  that  rope  and  it  broke  with 
him ;  that  also  broke  up  the  plotting ;  with  their 
leader  gone  they  had  no  heart  to  try  anything 
further  in  that  line." 


26  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

"I  spoke  to  Deerfoot  about  it,  and  he  says 
the  cause  was  more  than  that.  Tecumseh 
means  well,  and  is  determined  to  make  his  war- 
riors keep  the  treaty  of  Greenville.  He  did 
not  know  all  the  mischief  Ked  Wolf  was  up  to, 
and  was  in  a  fury  when  he  learned  it.  About 
that  time,  too,  Tecumseh  got  a  hint  from  Gov- 
ernor Harrison  through  Simon  Kenton  that  no 
more  such  doings  would  be  tolerated,  and  he 
took  the  hint.  No  harm  would  come  to  us  if 
we  rode  alone  into  any  of  the  Shawanoe  or 
Miami  or  Wyandot  villages.  But, ' '  added  Vic- 
tor, "I'd  feel  a  good  deal  better  to  have  Deer- 
foot  with  us." 

"He'll  be  as  much  a  stranger  as  we  after  we 
get  out  of  this  country." 

"Still  he's  an  Indian  and  knows  better  than 
anyone  else  how  to  handle  those  of  his  race. 
Mul-tal-la  is  sure  to  be  of  good  service,  too." 

"Have  you  any  idea  how  long  we  shall  be 
gone?" 

"No;  and  I  don't  care.  I  feel  as  if  I  should 
like  to  spend  several  years  on  the  other  side 
of  the  Mississippi." 

"You'll  get  homesick  before  that.  I  had  a 
talk  with  Deerfoot  last  night  and  found  he 


THE  FIRST  CAMP.  27 

doesn't  expect  to  start  on  the  return  before 
next  spring. " 

"Will  it  take  us  as  long  as  that  to  reach  the 
Blackfoot  country  f " 

"Of  course  not,  but  Deerfoot  means  to  look 
upon  the  Pacific  Ocean  before  he  comes  back, 
and  that,  as  he  figures  it,  is  about  a  thousand 
miles  beyond  the  Blackfoot  country.  Accord- 
ing to  what  Mul-tal-la  says,  the  biggest  moun- 
tains in  the  world  lie  just  west  of  his  country, 
and  we  have  got  to  climb  over  or  get  through 
them  some  way.  What  do  you  think  of  the 
plan!?1 

"It  tickles  me  half  to  death.  I  wonder 
whether  Deerfoot  would  care  if  I  threw  up  my 
hat  and  yelled." 

"I'm  sure  I  don't  know." 

"Well,  here  goes,  anyway!" 

And  what  did  the  irrepressible  youth  do 
but  fling  his  cap  a  dozen  feet  above  his  head  and 
emit  a  whoop  of  which  Tecumseh  would  not 
have  been  ashamed.  Both  Deerfoot  and  Mul- 
tal-la  looked  wonderingly  around,  and  each 
smiled.  The  Shawanoe's  smile  grew  broader 
when  Victor  made  a  grasp  to  catch  his  cap  as 
it  came  down,  but  missed  it  and  it  fell  to  the 
earth. 


28  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES, 

" Plague  take  it!"  exclaimed  the  lad,  slipping 
out  of  the  saddle  without  stopping  his  horse, 
and  running  back  to  recover  his  head-gear. 

While  he  was  doing  so  Deerfoot  emitted  a 
war-whoop  himself,  and  struck  the  heels  of  his 
moccasins  against  the  ribs  of  Simon,  who 
instantly  broke  into  a  gallop.  Bug  was  hardly 
a  moment  behind  him,  and  Zigzag,  for  a  wonder, 
caught  the  infection.  George  saw  what  their 
leader  was  up  to,  and  he  pretended  he  could  not 
restrain  his  own  horse.  The  shouts  he  sent 
out  while  seeming  to  do  his  best  frightened 
Jack  into  a  gallop,  and  Prince  proved  that  he 
did  not  mean  to  be  left  behind. 

Thus  when  Victor  had  snatched  his  cap  from 
the  ground,  replaced  it  on  his  head  and  turned 
to  trot  the  necessary  few  paces,  he  saw  the 
whole  line  in  a  gallop,  with  his  own  horse  sev- 
eral rods  in  advance  of  him. 

"Whoa!  Plague  take  you!  Whoa!  Don't 
you  hear  me?"  shouted  the  indignant  lad, 
breaking  into  a  desperate  run. 

There  could  be  no  doubt  that  all  the  animals 
as  well  as  their  riders  heard  the  command, 
which  was  loud  enough  to  penetrate  the  woods 
for  half  a  mile.  Prince  being  the  nearest* 


THE  FIRST  CAMP.  29 

surely  must  have  noted  the  order,  but  he 
seemed  to  think  that,  inasmuch  as  the  horses 
ahead  of  him  increased  their  speed,  it  was 
proper  for  him  to  do  the  same.  At  any  rate 
he  did  it,  and  succeeded  so  well  that  his  owner 
saw  the  space  widening  between  them. 

By  this  time  Victor  knew  that  Deerfoot  was 
at  the  bottom  of  it  all.  No  man  can  do  his  best 
when  laughing  or  shouting,  and  the  pursuer 
ceased  his  call  and  bent  all  his  energies  to  over- 
taking the  fleeing  horses.  He  thought  the 
leader  would  soon  show  some  consideration  for 
him  and  slacken  his  pace,  but  the  Shawanoe 
seemed  to  be  stern  and  unsympathizing  that 
forenoon,  for  he  maintained  the  gallop,  with 
the  others  doing  the  same,  and  the  task  of  the 
running  youngster  loomed  up  as  impossible. 

It  wouldn't  do  to  get  mad  and  sulk,  for  no 
one  would  pay  any  attention  to  him — least  of 
all  Deerfoot,  who  liked  fun  as  well  as  anybody. 
Besides,  the  exercise  promised  to  do  the  youth 
a  world  of  good. 

But  fortune  came  to  his  relief  when  least 
expected.  Victor  had  traveled  this  trail  so 
often  that  he  knew  it  almost  as  well  as  Deer- 
foot.  He  remembered  it  made  a  sharp  curve 


30  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

to  the  left  not  far  in  advance.  When  he  caught 
sight  of  the  young  Shawanoe,  therefore,  calmly 
galloping  around  the  bend,  the  lad  dived  among 
the  trees  and  sped  at  a  reckless  rate. 

"They  ain't  so  smart  as  they  think  they  are! 
I'll  beat  'em  yet — confound  it!" 

He  thought  surely  his  head  had  been  lifted 
from  his  shoulders,  for  at  that  moment  a  pro- 
jecting maple  limb,  not  quite  as  high  as  his 
crown,  slipped  under  his  chin  and  almost 
hoisted  him  off  his  feet.  He  speedily  found  he 
was  intact  and  had  suffered  little  more  than  a 
shock  to  his  feelings.  He  was  quickly  at  it 
again  and  soon  caught  sight  of  Deerfoot  rising 
and  sinking  with  the  motion  of  his  horse  and 
the  others  stringing  behind  him. 

A  moment  later  Victor  leaped  into  the  trail, 
recoiling  just  enough  to  let  the  leader  pass  him 
as  he  stood.  But  Deerfoot  reined  up  and 
stared  at  him  as  if  in  wonder. 

"Does  my  brother  love  to  wander  in  the 
woods  that  he  should  leave  his  saddle?"  was 
the  innocent  query  of  the  dusky  wag. 

"You  think  you  know  a  good  deal,  don't  you? 
Wait  till  I  get  a  chance;  I'll  pay  you  for  this," 
was  the  half -impatient  answer. 


THE  FIRST  CAMP.  3J 

"Deerfoot  is  so  scared  by  the  words  of  his 
brother  that  he  may  fall  off  his  horse/'  said 
the  Shawanoe  with  mock  alarm.  "Will  he  not 
forgive  Deerfoot  because  he  did  not  stop  when 
he  heard  his  brother  crying  behind  him?" 

"  You  go  on.  I'll  catch  you  one  of  these  days 
and  make  you  sorry." 

With  an  expression  of  grief  Deerfoot  started 
forward  again,  his  horse  on  a  walk.  Those 
behind  had  also  stopped,  and  they  now  resumed 
the  journey.  The  Shawanoe  kept  his  eye  to  the 
rear  until  he  saw  Victor  was  in  the  saddle 
again,  when  his  pace  immediately  rose  to  a  trot 
and  all  were  quickly  jogging  forward  as  before. 

George  tried  to  look  sympathetic,  but  he 
could  not,  and  his  brother  saw  his  shoulders 
shaking  with  laughter  as  he  rode  on,  not  daring 
to  trust  himself  to  speak.  By  this  time  the 
impulsive  Victor  had  rallied  from  his  partial 
anger,  and  decided  that  the  best  thing  to  do 
was  to  join  in  the  general  good-nature  and 
merriment  over  his  mishap. 

Noon  came  and  passed,  but  Deerfoot  showed 
no  intention  of  going  into  camp.  He  humored 
the  animals  by  dropping  to  a  walk.  They  were 
allowed  to  drink  several  times  from  the  small 


32  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

streams  crossed,  and  occasionally  were  given 
a  breathing  spell  of  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes. 
The  Shawanoe  knew  how  to  treat  their  kind  and 
did  not  press  them  too  hard.  When  these  long 
pauses  were  made  the  riders  dismounted,  lolled 
at  the  side  of  the  trail,  talked  together,  but 
neither  Deerf  oot  nor  Mul-tal-la  made  reference 
to  food  for  themselves,  and  the  boys  were  too 
proud  to  hint  anything  of  their  hunger. 

When  the  afternoon  was  well  advanced  the 
party  came  to  an  open  space,  crossed  near  the 
middle  by  a  sparkling  brook,  which  issued  from 
under  some  mossy  rocks  to  the  right.  Early  as 
was  the  season,  there  was  considerable  growth 
of  succulent  grass,  which  offered  the  best  kind 
of  nourishment  for  the  horses.  Deerfoot 
announced  that  they  would  spend  the  night  in 
this  place,  and,  leaping  from  the  back  of  Simon, 
plunged  into  the  wood  in  quest  of  game,  of 
which  they  had  had  more  than  one  glimpse 
while  on  the  road. 

Meanwhile  the  Blackfoot  and  the  boys 
relieved  Zigzag  of  his  load,  removed  the  other 
saddle  and  bridles,  and  devoted  themselves  to 
gathering  wood  for  the  night.  With  such  an 
abundance  on  every  hand  this  was  a  light  task. 


I 


THE  FIRST  CAMP.  33 

When  the  leaves  were  heaped  up,  with  a  mass 
of  dry  twigs  loosely  arranged  on  top  and  larger 
sticks  above  them,  George  Shelton  took  out  the 
sun-glass  which  had  been  presented  to  him  by 
one  of  his  neighbors.  The  sun  was  still  high 
enough  for  him  to  catch  a  few  of  the  rays  and 
concentrate  them  upon  the  leaves,  which 
speedily  broke  into  a  smoking  flame  that  soon 
spread  into  a  roaring  fire.  The  method  was 
not  much  superior,  after  all,  to  the  old-fash- 
ioned flint  and  steel,  but  the  instrument  was 
new  so  far  as  the  present  owner  was  concerned, 
and  he  liked  to  use  it." 

One  of  the  most  treasured  presents  to  Vic- 
tor was  a  good  spy-glass  that  had  been  used  by 
one  of  General  Wayne's  officers  throughout  the 
Eevolutionary  War,  and  afterward  in  the 
Indian  campaigns  in  the  West.  The  lad  had 
not  found  a  good  chance  as  yet  to  employ  it, 
but  when  its  power  was  explained  to  Mul-tal-la 
he  was  delighted  and  declared  it  would  prove 
beyond  value  to  them  while  crossing  the  plains, 
and  he  spoke  the  truth. 

The  fire  was  no  more  than  fairly  going  when 
the  report  of  Deerfoot's  rifle  sounded  not  far 
off  in  the  woods.  No  one  was  surprised,  for 


34  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

game  was  plenty,  though  it  was  not  the  most 
favorable  season,  and  it  was  safe  to  rely  upon 
the  dusky  youth  for  an  unfailing  supply  of  food 
whenever  it  could  possibly  be  secured. 

When  a  few  minutes  later  Deerfoot  came  in 
sight  he  was  carrying  a  big  wild  turkey,  from 
which  he  had  torn  the  feathers,  plucked  the 
inedible  portions,  and  washed  the  rest  in  the 
clear  water  of  the  brook.  All  that  remained  to 
do  was  to  broil  the  meat  over  the  fire  and  coals 
as  soon  as  they  were  ready. 

Aunt  Dinah  had  expressed  an  ardent  wish 
to  stow  among  the  bundles  of  the  packhorse 
some  specimens  of  her  best  cookery  in  the  way 
of  bread  and  cake,  but  the  brothers  protested 
so  vigorously  that  there  was  neither  need  nor 
room  for  anything  of  that  kind  that  she 
refrained.  There  was,  however,  considerable 
salt,  pepper  and  other  condiments,  though 
neither  tea  nor  coffee. 

Deerfoot  broiled  the  turkey  without  help 
from  the  others.  It  was  cut  into  pieces  which 
he  toasted  on  green  sticks  skewered  through 
them,  turned  over  in  front  of  the  blaze  and  laid 
for  a  few  minutes  over  the  blazing  coals.  When 
the  first  piece  was  ready  he  passed  it  to  Victor. 


THE  FIRST  CAMP.  35 

"That's  'cause  he  feels  remorse  for  his  mean- 
ness towards  me,"  reflected  the  lad,  sprinkling 
salt  on  the  juicy  flesh  and  then  sinking  his  sharp 
incisors  into  it,  realizing,  as  many  a  youngster 
has  realized  before  and  since,  that  the  best 
sauce  for  any  sort  of  food  is  hunger. 

The  next  portion  went  to  George,  the  third  to 
Mul-tal-la,  and  last  of  all  Deerfoot  provided 
for  himsel".  This  was  his  invariable  rule,  and 
all  his  friends  knew  it  so  well  that  they  never 
protested. 

Water  was  brought  from  the  brook  in  one 
of  the  tin  cups  with  which  they  were  furnished, 
and  all  made  a  nourishing  and  palatable  meal. 

The  last  mouthful  had  been  masticated  to  a 
pulp  and  swallowed  when  Deerfoot,  without  a 
word,  rose  gravely  to  his  feet  and  walked  to 
where  the  big  pack  of  Zigzag  lay.  The  corners 
of  the  huge  parcel  had  been  gathered,  and  were 
tied  over  the  middle  with  big  knots.  Under 
these  was  so  large  a  gap  that  Deerfoot  readily 
thrust  in  his  hand  without  undoing  the  fasten- 
ing. Fumbling  around  for  several  minutes  he 
brought  out  a  goodly  sized  package  wrapped 
about  with  coarse  brown  paper. 

Every  eye  was  upon  him,  for  all  were  won- 


36  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

dering  what  he  was  seeking  and  had  found.  He 
carefully  unwrapped  the  paper  and  then  took 
from  within  something  about  a  foot  in  diameter, 
of  circular  shape,  three  or  four  inches  in  thick- 
ness, and  bulging  upward  in  the  middle.  It 
was  of  a  dark-brown  color,  the  interior  so  full  of 
richness  that  it  had  burst  the  crust  in  one  or 
two  places  and,  pushing  outward,  gave  a 
glimpse  of  the  slightly  browned  wealth  within. 
Eaising  the  object  in  one  hand,  Deerfoot  broke 
off  a  piece,  whose  craggy  sides  were  of  a  golden 
yellow,  creamy  and  light  as  a  feather.  Then 
the  others  identified  it. 

It  was  a  " sugar  cake,"  specially  prepared 
by  Dinah,  and  in  mixing  and  baking  it  she  had 
excelled  herself.  It  certainly  was  a  triumph 
of  skill,  and,  despite  the  meal  just  finished,  the 
sight  of  the  delicious  richness — with  which  the 
brothers  had  become  familiar  many  a  time — 
made  their  mouths  water. 

Deerfoot  acted  as  if  nobody  else  was  in  the 
neighborhood.  Having  broken  off  the  golden 
spongy  chunk,  he  lifted  it  to  his  mouth,  and  it 
was  a  wonder  how  fast  it  disappeared.  The 
Shawanoe  certainly  had  a  sweet  tooth,  for  his 
eyes  sparkled  as  he  munched  the  soft  delicacy. 


THE  FIRST  CAMP.  37 

In  a  minute  or  two  the  first  segment  vanished, 
and  he  instantly  set  to  work  on  the  second, 
meanwhile  looking  longingly  at  the  mangled 
original,  as  if  grudging  the  time  he  had  to  wait 
before  disposing  of  that. 

"Well,  did  you  ever?"  whispered  Victor. 
"Aunt  Dinah  made  that  on  purpose  for  him, 
and  we  were  dunces  enough  not  to  take  what 
she  offered  us." 

Neither  of  the  boys  was  unjust  enough  to 
attribute  the  salute  which  the  young  Shawanoe 
gave  the  colored  woman  to  this  cause,  for  they 
knew  that  was  impossible,  but  it  was  a  sight, 
nevertheless,  to  see  the  fellow  place  himself  out- 
side of  the  cake.  When  it  was  about  one-fourth 
gone  he  seemed  to  become  aware  that  he  had 
companions.  Looking  up  as  if  in  astonishment, 
he  broke  and  divided  the  major  portion  between 
the  boys.  Some  was  offered  to  the  Blackfoot, 
but  he  shook  his  head.  He  had  never  tasted  of 
such  food,  and,  if  he  knew  his  own  heart:  never 
would  give  it  a  chance  at  his  interior  organiza- 
tion. 


CHAPTER  HI. 

THIEVES  OF  THE  NIGHT. 

DEERFOOT  could  be  a  stern  master  when 
necessary.  While  it  would  have  been 
no  hardship  for  him  and  Mul-tal-la  to 
divide  the  duties  of  sentinel  each  night,  he 
meant  that  the  boys  should  bear  their  part. 
They  were  big  and  strong  enough  to  do  so,  and 
there  was  no  reason  why  they  should  not.  He 
informed  them  that  George  was  to  watch  the 
camp  for  the  first  half  of  the  night,  or  rather 
for  an  hour  beyond  the  turn,  when  he  was  to 
awake  Victor,  who  would  take  his  place  until 
daylight.  This  was  to  be  the  rule  throughout 
the  expedition,  except  when  some  exigency 
demanded  the  services  of  the  elders. 

Enough  fuel  had  been  gathered  to  last 
through  the  darkness.  It  was  Deerfoot's  plan 
to  avoid  the  Indian  villages  so  far  as  was  prac- 
tical, although  little  or  nothing  was  to  be  feared 
from  meeting  those  of  his  own  race.  The 
Blackfoot  had  come  in  contact  with  many  tribes 

38 


THIEVES  OF  THE  NIGHT.  39 

on  his  long  journey  eastward,  but  excepting 
in  two  instances  nothing  of  an  unpleasant 
nature  occurred.  You  have  learned  that  the 
tribes  which  formed  the  confederacy  crushed 
by  "Mad  Anthony"  Wayne  at  Fallen  Timber 
were  now  so  peaceably  inclined  toward  the 
white  settlers  that  not  much  was  to  be  feared 
from  them. 

And  yet  it  was  not  wise  to  tempt  them  too 
far.  An  Indian  loves  a  horse,  and  among  the 
tribes  were  plenty  of  thieves  who  would  run 
off  the  animals  of  our  friends  if  the  chance 
were  offered.  So  the  latter  did  not  mean  to 
offer  the  chance. 

The  air  was  crisp,  for  the  spring  was  only 
fairly  open,  and  the  little  company  that  gath- 
ered round  the  crackling  blaze  called  their 
blankets  into  use.  The  animals  were  allowed 
to  crop  the  grass  near  at  hand,  and  to  lie  down 
when  they  chose.  None  was  tethered,  for  they 
were  not  likely  to  wander  off,  and  if  they 
showed  a  disposition  to  do  so  the  sentinel  could 
easily  prevent  it. 

The  four  lolled  about  the  blaze  after  finish- 
ing their  evening  meal,  talking  mainly  of  the 
long  journey  and  the  experiences  awaiting  them. 


40  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

Mul-tal-la  answered  Deerfoot's  questions  again, 
for  though  the  Shawanoe  was  well  informed, 
his  inquiries  were  for  the  benefit  of  the  boys, 
whose  interest  naturally  was  keen. 

When  the  night  was  well  advanced,  Deerfoot, 
without  any  preliminary,  drew  his  little  Bible 
from  his  hunting  shirt,  and  leaning  forward  so 
that  the  light  fell  upon  the  small  print,  read  the 
Twenty-third  Psalm,  which,  you  remember,  was 
one  of  his  favorite  chapters.  His  voice  was 
low,  musical  and  reverent,  and  no  professional 
elocutionist  could  have  given  the  sublime  pas- 
sage more  impressively. 

The  three  listened  attentively,  none  speaking 
during  the  reading.  It  seemed  to  George  and 
Victor  that  they  had  never  felt  the  beauty  and 
sweetness  of  the  book  whose  utterances  are 
sufficient  for  every  condition  of  man  and  every 
state  of  the  human  mind.  The  surroundings, 
the  great  future  which  spread  out  so  mysteri- 
ously before  them,  the  certain  dangers  that 
impended,  their  utter  helplessness  and  a  sense 
of  the  all-protecting  care  of  their  Heavenly 
Father,  filled  their  souls  as  never  before. 

It  would  be  hard  to  fathom  the  imaginings 
and  thoughts  of  the  Blackf oot.  He  was  sitting 


THIEVES  OF  THE  NIGHT.  4J 

erect,  with  his  blanket  about  his  shoulders,  only 
a  few  paces  from  the  young  Shawanoe,  and  kept 
his  eyes  upon  the  noble  countenance  as  the 
precious  words  filled  the  stillness,  the  listener 
fearful  that  some  syllable  might  escape  him, 
He  had  learned  much  of  the  true  God  in  his 
talks  with  the  devout  youth,  and,  like  him,  had 
fallen  into  the  habit  of  praying  morning  and 
evening,  and  sometimes  for  a  few  moments  in 
the  busiest  part  of  the  day. 

The  brothers  recalled  that  loved  parent  who 
had  been  lying  in  his-  grave  for  weeks,  and 
remembered  how  he  had  prayed  and  how  tri- 
umphantly he  had  passed  away  when  the  last 
solemn  moment  arrived,  and  both  firmly 
resolved  from  that  time  forward  so  to  live  that 
there  could  be  no  question  of  the  reunion  that 
to  both  was  the  dearest,  most  joyous  and  thrill- 
ing hope  that  could  possibly  fill  their  hearts. 

While  the  two  sat  beside  each  other,  silent 
and  listening,  George  gently  reached  out  his 
hand.  Victor  saw  the  movement,  and,  taking 
the  palm  within  his  own,  fervently  pressed  it. 
At  the  same  moment  the  brothers  looked  into 
each  other's  eyes.  It  was  enough;  volumes 
could  have  said  no  more. 


42  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

Deerfoot  finished,  and,  closing  the  book, 
returned  it  to  its  resting  place  over  his  heart. 
Then  without  a  word  he  turned  and  knelt  on 
the  cool  earth.  Instinctively  the  three  did  the 
same  and  all  prayed. 

Not  a  word  was  heard,  but  heart  spoke  to 
heart,  and  all  communed  with  Him  whose  ear 
is  never  closed  against  the  petition  of  his  chil- 
dren. Had  either  of  the  boys  prayed  aloud 
he  would  have  stammered,  for  he  could  not  have 
shaken  off  the  question  as  to  how  his  words 
impressed  his  companions.  It  is  the  impossi- 
bility in  many  cases  of  one  freeing  himself  from 
this  hindrance  that  makes  the  sentences  of  the 
petitioner  halt  and  stumbling,  because  to  a 
certain  degree  they  are  addressed  to  men  rather 
than  directly  to  the  Father.  The  Blackfoot 
would  have  found  it  almost  impossible  to  shape 
intelligently  his  sentences  if  he  spoke  aloud, 
but  he  could  talk  freely  in  his  own  way  to  his 
Maker.  Deerfoot  could  have  done  far  better 
than  any  of  the  others,  for  he  would  not  have 
hesitated,  but  he  preferred  the  silent  petition, 
and  rarely  spoke  his  words  unless  he  was  asked 
to  do  so  or  a  special  necessity  existed. 

The  others  took  their  cue  from  him,  and  when 


THIEVES  OF  THE  NIGHT.  43 

they  heard  the  gentle  rustling  which  showed 
that  he  had  resumed  his  sitting  posture  they 
did  the  same.  Then  he  nodded  to  George,  who, 
rifle  in  hand,  walked  softly  out  in  the  gloom 
to  where  the  animals  had  lain  down  for  the 
night,  in  the  midst  of  the  grass  and  near  the 
rippling  brook.  As  he  did  so  he  bade  his 
friends  good  night,  and  they  disposed  of  them- 
selves in  the  usual  way,  each  with  his  blanket 
wrapped  about  him  and  his  feet  turned  toward 
the  fire.  Within  ten  minutes  every  one  of  the 
three  was  sunk  in  sweet,  refreshing  slumber.  • 

The  night  was  clear  and  studded  with  stars. 
There  was  no  moon,  the  gloom  being  so  deep 
that  the  watcher  could  see  only  a  few  paces  in 
any  direction.  Often  as  he  had  spent  the  night 
in  the  dim  solitudes,  sometimes  with  danger 
brooding  and  again  when  all  was  tranquil,  he 
could  never  cast  off  the  emotions  that  filled  his 
being  when  he  stood  thus  alone,  with  friends 
dependent  perhaps  upon  his  vigilance.  He 
listened  to  the  soft  rippling  of  the  brook,  the 
hollow  stillness  of  the  vast  forest,  like  the 
moaning  of  the  far-away  ocean  which  has  been 
called  the  voice  of  silence,  the  occasional  rest- 
less movement  of  one  of  the  horses,  and  the 


44  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

gentle  stir  of  the  night  wind  among  the  burst- 
ing foliage  overhead  and  around  him.  Then 
he  looked  toward  the  fire  at  the  dimly  outlined 
forms,  partly  within  and  partly  without  the 
circle  of  illumination,  and  again  his  heart  was 
lifted  to  the  only  One  who  could  ward  off  dan- 
ger from  him  and  his  friends. 

The  youth  marked  out  a  beat  for  himself 
parallel  with  the  brook  and  two  or  three  rods  in 
length.  Sometimes  he  paused  and,  leaning  on 
his  gun,  peered  into  the  hollow  gloom  which 
inclosed  him  on  every  hand.  He  knew  that  so 
long  as  he  kept  on  his  feet  he  would  not  fall 
asleep,  but  if  he  sat  down  the  lapse  was  inevi- 
table. Better  still  to  walk  to  and  fro,  as  is  the 
practice  of  the  sentinel,  for  while  doing  so  he 
was  safe  against  the  insidious  weakness  which 
steals  the  senses  from  the  most  rugged  man 
ere  he  is  aware. 

George  did  not  believe  that  any  danger 
threatened  the  camp  unless  of  the  nature  hinted 
by  Deerfoot.  It  might  be  that  some  wandering 
Miamis  or  Wyandots  or  Shawanoes  had 
observed  the  little  party  and  their  horses  and 
cast  covetous  eyes  upon  the  latter.  If  so,  they 
would  not  dare  to  proceed  to  violence,  but  might 


THIEVES  OF  THE  NIGHT.  45 

try  to  run  off  one  or  two  of  the  animals,  hoping 
to  get  far  enough  away  with  them  before  dis- 
covery of  the  theft  to  make  pursuit  useless. 
It  was  this  apprehension  which  kept  the  youth 
alert  and  watchful. 

George  Shelton  had  paced  to  and  fro  for 
more  than  an  hour  without  hearing  or  seeing 
anything  to  excite  misgiving.  The  cry  of  a 
wolf  in  the  distance  and  the  nearer  scream  of 
a  panther  were  given  scarcely  a  thought,  for 
both  were  too  common  to  cause  alarm. 

The  first  disturbance  came  from  the  action 
of  his  horse  Jack,  who  had  lain  down  at  a  point 
farther  off  than  the  others.  All  the  animals 
seemed  to  be  resting  quietly,  when,  at  the 
moment  the  lad  was  nearest  his  own  and  was 
about  to  turn  to  retrace  his  steps,  Jack  raised 
his  head  and  emitted  a  slight  whinny,  though 
none  of  the  others  showed  any  disquiet. 

The  sentinel  paused  and  looked  at  his  pony, 
dimly  outlined  in  the  darkness.  He  saw  he  had 
raised  his  head  and  appeared  to  be  interested 
in  something  on  the  other  side  of  the  brook. 
George  lifted  the  hammer  of  his  rifle,  suspect- 
ing that  some  prowling  wolf  or  other  wild  beast 
was  trying  to  creep  nigh  enough  to  assail  the 


46  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

horses.  The  youth  peered  into  the  gloom  and 
listened,  hut  all  remained  as  silent  as  the  grave. 

He  held  his  motionless  position  for  several 
minutes,  in  douht  what  he  ought  to  do,  if  indeed 
he  could  do  anything.  Then  with  rare  courage 
he  hegan  slowly  walking  toward  the  point  in 
which  Jack  seemed  interested,  holding  his  gun 
ready  to  raise  and  fire  on  the  instant. 

He  reached  the  brook  and  was  about  to  leap 
lightly  across  when  the  figure  of  an  Indian  rose 
from  the  grass  and  stood  revealed  hardly  ten 
feet  distant.  He  did  not  move,  and  seemed  to 
have  come  up  from  a  hole  in  the  earth.  The 
sight  was  so  startling  to  the  lad  that  he  stopped 
abruptly  and  exclaimed  in  a  low  tone : 

1 '  Helloa !    Who  are  you  ? ' ' 

"Howdy,brudder?"  replied  the  redskin  in  the 
same  guarded  voice. 

"What  do  you  want,  stealing  into  our  camp 
like  this?" 

"Me  Par-o-wan — friend  of  paleface — me 
brudder." 

"You  haven't  told  me  what  you  want," 
repeated  the  impatient  youth,  with  his  gun  half 
raised,  for  he  was  suspicious,  and  saw  that  the 
other  held  a  rifle  almost  in  the  same  position  as 
his  own. 


THIEVES  OF  THE  NIGHT.  47 

"Par-o-wan  brudder;  sit  down — talk  wid 
brudder — lub  brudder. " 

"Dog  of  a  Miami!  leave  at  once!  You  have 
others  with  you !  If  you  tarry  we  shall  shoot 
every  one  of  you ! ' ' 

It  was  not  George  Shelton  who  uttered  this 
warning,  but  Deerf  oot,  who  appeared  at  his  side 
4SO  suddenly  and  noiselessly  that  the  lad  had 
no  thought  of  anything  of  the  kind  until  he 
heard  the  familiar  voice. 

"Par-o-wan  friend  ob  Deerf  oot — he  no  hunt 
him — he  go  away,"  replied  the  Miami,  plainly 
scared  by  the  words  and  manner  of  the  young 
Shawanoe,  who  now  raised  his  rifle  to  a  "dead 
level "  and  acted  as  if  he  meant  to  fire. 

t '  Deerf  oot  knows  you  and  those  that  are  with 
you,  Par-o-wan !  You  are  the  thieves  who  have 
come  to  steal  our  horses.  Go  quick  or  I 
shoot!" 

In  a  panic  of  fear  the  Miami  wheeled  and 
dashed  off  so  fast  that  he  threshed  through  the 
undergrowth  and  wood  like  a  frightened  wild 
animal.  Deerfoot  waited  a  minute  in  the  same 
vigilant  attitude,  and  then  quietly  remarked : 

"They  will  trouble  us  no  more.  Now  Deer- 
foot  will  sleep." 


4S  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

"But  tell  me  what  woke  you;  I  didn't  give 
any  alarm,"  said  the  mystified  George  Shelton. 

"My  brother  spoke.  Deerfoot  heard  his 
voice.  My  brother  is  watchful,  but  he  will  not 
be  troubled  again  by  the  Miamis,  for  they  are 
alarmed." 

And  without  anything  further  the  Shawanoe 
walked  silently  back  to  his  place  by  the  camp- 
fire,  drew  his  blanket  around  him  and  five  min- 
utes later  was  sleeping  as  peacefully  as  before 
he  was  awakened  by  the  soft  voices  of  the  man 
and  boy. 

"Well,  that  beats  all  creation!"  muttered  the 
grinning  lad,  as  he  resumed  his  pacing  to  and 
fro.  "We  didn't  make  enough  noise  to  wake  a 
sleeping  baby,  but  he  must  have  been  roused 
by  the  first  word,  for  he  was  at  my  side  in  a 
few  seconds.  I  don't  see  the  need  of  putting 
one  of  us  on  guard  when  Deerfoot  wakes  up 
like  that.  He's  a  wonder  and  no  mistake." 

So  full  was  George's  faith  in  the  young 
Shawanoe  that  he  was  absolutely  sure  nothing 
more  was  to  be  feared  from  the  Miamis  who 
had  evidently  stolen  up  to  the  camp  with  the 
intention  of  running  off  one  or  more  of  the 
horses.  He  paced  regularly  over  his  beat  until 


THIEVES  OF  THE  NIGHT.  49 

certain  it  was  well  past  midnight,  when  he  went 
up  to  the  fire,  threw  more  wood  on  it  and 
touched  the  arm  of  his  brother. 

You  know  that  when  you  sink  into  slumber 
with  the  wish  strongly  impressed  on  your  mind 
of  awaking  at  a  certain  minute,  you  are  almost 
sure  to  do  so,  or  at  least  very  near  the  time 
stamped  on  your  brain.  While  George  Shelton 
was  in  the  act  of  stooping  to  rouse  Victor  the 
latter  opened  his  eyes  and  rose  to  the  sitting 
posture. 

"I'm  ready,"  he  said  softly,  coming  to  his 
feet,  gun  in  hand.  "Have  you  seen  anything, 
George ?" 

The  latter  quickly  whispered  the  particulars 
of  the  little  incident  already  told. 

"Well,  if  Deerfoot  said  they  won't  be  back, 
they  won't  be  back;  but  I  mean  to  keep  a  look- 
out for  them." 

With  which  philosophical  decision  Victor 
strolled  out  to  the  beat  whose  location  his 
brother  had  made  known  to  him.  While  gath- 
ering the  blanket  about  him  to  lie  down 
George  glanced  at  Deerfoot,  who  lay  within 
arm's  length.  At  that  moment  one  of  the 
embers  at  the  base  of  the  fire  fell  apart  and  the 
flare  of  light  fell  upon  the  face  of  the  Shawanoe. 


50  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

George  saw  that  his  large  dark  eyes  were 
open,  and  no  doubt  he  had  heard  every  word 
of  the  cautious  bit  of  conversation  between  the 
brothers.  He  did  not  speak,  however,  and 
immediately  closed  his  eyes  again,  no  doubt 
dropping  off  to  sleep  as  quietly  as  before.  It 
was  a  considerable  time  before  George  slum- 
bered, for  the  experience  of  the  evening,  even 
though  it  amounted  to  little,  touched  his  nerves. 
Finally  he  glided  off  into  the  land  of  dreams. 

Victor  did  his  duty  faithfully,  as  his  brother 
had  done,  and  with  his  senses  keyed  to  a  high 
tension,  but  not  the  slightest  disturbance 
occurred.  Deerfoot  was  right  in  his  declara- 
tion. If  Par-o-wan  had  companions  they  had 
been  too  thoroughly  frightened  to  risk  rousing 
the  anger  of  the  Shawanoe. 

The  latter  acted  as  provider  again  and  fur- 
nished his  friends  with  another  meal  upon  wild 
turkey,  promising  to  vary  the  diet  in  the  course 
of  a  day  or  two,  though  no  one  felt  like  com- 
plaining, since  there  was  an  abundance  for  all, 
and  such  meat  is  not  to  be  despised,  even 
though  one  can  become  tired  of  it. 

Thus  early  in  their  venture  our  friends  met 
with  a  disagreeable  experience,  for  though  the 


THIEVES  OF  THE  NIGHT,  51 

day  dawned  with  the  sun  visible,  the  tempera- 
ture fell  and  a  cold,  drizzling  rain  set  in,  which 
promised  to  last  for  hours.  Deerfoot  read  the 
signs  aright,  and  before  the  rainfall  began  con- 
ducted his  companions  to  a  rocky  section  a 
little  way  off  the  trail,  where  they  found  shelter 
for  themselves  and  partial  protection  for  their 
horses.  Had  there  been  an  Indian  village 
within  easy  distance  they  would  have  made 
their  way  thither,  being  sure  of  a  welcome. 

It  was  not  the  cheerless  day  itself  that  was 
so  trying,  for  that  was,,  much  improved  by  the 
fire  they  kept  going,  but  it  was  the  enforced 
inaction.  Few  things  are  harder  to  bear  than 
idleness  when  one  is  anxious  to  get  forward. 
The  boys  fretted,  but  Deerfoot  and  Mul-tal-la 
accepted  the  situation  philosophically,  as  they 
always  accepted  the  bad  with  the  good.  No 
murmur  would  have  been  heard  from  either 
had  they  been  halted  for  several  days.  Deer- 
foot,  indeed,  had  reached  that  wise  state  of 
mind  in  which  his  conscience  reproved  him  for 
complaining  of  anything,  since  he  knew  it  was 
ordered  by  One  who  doeth  all  things  well. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

AN  ACQUAINTANCE. 

THE  cold,  dismal,  drizzling  rain  lasted 
without  cessation  till  night  closed  in. 
The  horses  were  allowed  to  graze  suffi- 
ciently to  satisfy  their  hunger,  but  they  shrank 
shivering  under  the  lee  of  the  rocks,  where 
they  were  only  partly  protected.  Every  mem- 
ber of  the  party  proved  his  sympathy  by  cover- 
ing an  animal  with  his  blanket,  an  extra  one 
being  provided  for  Zigzag,  so  that  after  a  time 
all  became  comfortable.  The  fire  that  was  kept 
blazing  on  the  stony  floor  under  a  projecting 
ledge  warmed  the  four  so  well  that  they  were 
able  to  get  on  quite  well  without  additional 
covering. 

Mul-tal-la  asked  the  privilege  of  going  off 
on  a  hunt  in  the  afternoon.  His  bow  was  at 
disadvantage  in  the  wet,  and  he  borrowed  Deer- 
foot  's  rifle,  with  which  he  had  practiced  enough 
to  acquire  a  fair  degree  of  skill. 


AN  ACQUAINTANCE.  53 

4  *  What  will  my  brother  bring  back?"  asked 
the  Shawanoe. 

"Whatever  his  brothers  want,"  replied  the 
Blackfoot  in  good  English.  He  looked  first  at 
Deerfoot  for  his  request. 

"Let  my  brother  bring  a  buffalo,"  he  replied, 
knowing  very  well  that  none  was  in  the  neigh- 
borhood. 

"Mul-tal-la  would  have  to  journey  too  far," 
said  the  warrior,  who  had  acquired  from  his 
friend  the  habit  of  speaking  of  himself  in  the 
third  person;  "but  if  Deerfoot  wants  it  he  will 
hunt  till  he  finds  a  buffalo." 

"Then  let  my  brother  bring  anything," 
added  the  Shawanoe  significantly,  as  if  he 
doubted  the  ability  of  his  friend  to  shoot  any 
kind  of  game.  That  was  the  impression,  too, 
he  meant  to  make. 

The  Blackfoot  turned  to  the  boys. 

"I'm  not  particular,"  remarked  George,  who 
was  inclined  to  sympathize  with  the  homely  but 
good-natured  fellow. 

"What  would  my  brother  like  more  than 
anything  else?"  persisted  Mul-tal-la. 

' i  I  think  a  meal  of  venison  would  taste  good. 
What  do  you  say,  Victor?" 


54  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

"Nothing  can  suit  me  better/' 

"My  brothers  shall  eat  deer's  meat  when 
Mul-tal-la  comes  back,"  was  the  confident  com- 
ment of  the  hunter. 

Deerfoot  looked  alarmed. 

"Let  not  my  brother  wait  till  he  shoots  a 
deer,"  he  said. 

"Why  shall  he  not  wait?" 

"Because  my  brother  may  never  come  back 
if  he  waits  for  that, ' '  was  the  slurring  explana- 
tion of  the  young  Shawanoe.  The  Blackfoot 
grinned  almost  to  his  ears,  displaying  a  set  of 
teeth  that  rivaled  those  of  the  Shawanoe.  No 
one  could  accept  a  joke  better  than  this  dusky 
wanderer  from  the  Eocky  Mountains. 

Mul-tal-la  had  not  been  gone  more  than  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  when  the  report  of  his  gun 
was  heard.  Deerfoot  smiled  and  wondered  what 
the  result  had  been.  But  it  was  Mul-tal-la 's 
moment  of  triumph  when,  soon  after,  he  came  in 
sight  bending  under  the  weight  of  the  f  orequar- 
ters  of  a  goodly  sized  deer.  He  had  come  upon 
three  of  the  animals  as  they  were  plucking  the 
tender  shoots  of  the  young  trees  and  under- 
growth. The  meeting  was  as  much  of  a  sur- 
prise to  him  as  to  the  deer  themselves.  A 


AN  ACQUAINTANCE.  55 

hunter  could  not  have  asked  a  fairer  shot,  and 
as  the  three  terrified  creatures  whirled  about 
to  make  off,  he  sent  a  bullet  into  one  just  back 
of  the  fore  leg  and  brought  him  down. 

No  one  ever  saw  the  proud  Blackfoot  do  more 
amazing  grinning  than  when  he  emerged  from 
the  woods  and  flung  the  carcass  at  the  feet  of 
the  Shawanoe. 

"Now,  if  my  brother  wishes  Mul-tal-la  to 
bring  him  a  buffalo,  he  will  do  so. ' ' 

Deerfoot  reached  out  his  hand  and  shook  that 
of  the  Blackfoot. 

"Mul-tal-la  is  a  great  hunter.  He  brings 
back  that  which  he  goes  out  to  seek.  Deerfoot 
is  sorry  that  he  said  doubting  words." 

"Oh,  he  needn't  worry,  for  Mul-tal-la  cares 
not  for  his  idle  talk." 

The  prospect  of  a  clear  day  on  the  morrow 
and  the  bountiful  meal  of  venison,  even  though 
it  was  perhaps  fresher  than  was  desirable,  put 
all  in  the  best  of  spirits.  The  evening  passed 
much  as  the  previous  one.  The  boys  made 
themselves  a  bed  of  boughs  that  had  been  dried 
by  the  heat  of  the  fire,  and  slept  undisturbed 
till  morning,  the  Indians  acting  the  part  of 
sentinels  and  not  being  disturbed  through  the 
night. 


56  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

The  morning  came  bright,  mild  and  sun- 
shiny. The  breakfast  was  eaten  early,  and 
the  sun  had  hardly  risen  when  the  little  caval- 
cade was  in  motion.  Deerfoot  now  made  an 
abrupt  turn  to  the  left,  and  by  nightfall  had 
penetrated  a  goodly  distance  into  the  present 
State  of  Indiana.  The  pace  was  a  walk  and 
was  maintained  until  night  began  closing  in. 
Then  followed  days  so  similar  to  one  another 
that  it  would  be  monotonous  to  give  the  history 
of  each.  The  adventurers  were  compelled  to 
cross  a  number  of  streams,  several  of  consid- 
erable size,  but,  by  searching,  fords  or  shallow 
places  were  found  where  the  horses  waded 
without  submerging  their  riders  and  without 
making  it  necessary  to  unload  Zigzag  and 
transport  his  burden  on  a  raft.  This  good 
fortune,  however,  could  not  be  expected  to  last. 
The  rivers  that  interposed  were  sure  to  prove 
the  most  serious  obstacles  in  their  path. 

Most  of  the  time  Deerfoot  was  able  to  dis- 
cover well  marked  trails,  which  he  turned  to 
account  if  they  led  in  the  right  direction.  A 
curious  sight  was  the  "salt  licks"  which  now 
and  then  they  came  upon.  Sometimes  these 
covered  more  than  an  acre  and  marked  where 


AN  ACQUAINTANCE.  57 

the  brackish  water,  oozing  upward,  left  a  fine 
incrustation  of  salt,  of  which  all  kinds  of  ani- 
mals are  very  fond.  Some  portions  had  been 
licked  over  hundreds  and  perhaps  thousands 
of  times  by  the  buffalo,  deer,  bears,  wolves  and 
other  beasts,  until  they  were  worn  as  smooth  as 
a  parlor  floor.  The  horses  of  our  friends  were 
allowed  to  do  considerable  lapping  for  them- 
selves, for  they  appreciated  the  privilege. 

Hardly  a  day  passed  on  which  strange 
Indians  were  not  met.  None  showed  any  hos- 
tility, and  responded  to  the  signs  of  friendship 
always  made  by  Deerfoot  at  first  sight  of  them. 
These  signs  are  so  universal  among  the  red  men 
that  a  native  of  the  American  coast  could 
readily  make  himself  understood  by  an  Indian 
on  the  banks  of  the  Pacific.  The  Shawanoe 
kept  to  his  rule  of  avoiding  villages  so  far  as 
he  could.  While  he  felt  little  fear  for  himself 
and  companions,  he  thought  the  horses  were 
likely  to  arouse  the  cupidity  of  the  strangers, 
with  the  result  that  some  of  the  animals  would 
be  stolen  or  unpleasant  consequences  would 
flow  from  the  meetings. 

So,  with  now  and  then  an  unpleasant  varia- 
tion in  the  weather,  but  never  checked  for  more 


58  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

than  an  hour  or  two,  and  heading  slightly  to 
the  south,  the  party  steadily  progressed  until 
in  a  little  less  than  a  week  they  passed  out  of 
the  section  now  known  as  Indiana  into  that  of 
southern  Illinois.  Straight  across  this  they 
rode,  still  crossing  the  interposing  rivers, 
sometimes  with  the  help  of  a  raft,  with  the 
horses  swimming  alongside,  but  oftener  hy 
wading.  They  found  the  Indians  of  this  sec- 
tion inclined  to  be  rovers,  and  it  was  generally 
easy  to  find  the  fords  used  by  them.  Pushing 
steadily  on,  with  the  spring  rapidly  advancing 
on  every  hand,  and  with  fine  weather  most  of 
the  time,  our  friends  finally  came  to  the  banks 
of  the  mighty  Mississippi,  at  a  point  directly 
opposite  St.  Louis. 

This  city,  which  to-day  is  one  of  the  leading 
ones  in  the  Union,  was  at  that  time  an  unsightly 
collection  of  cabins  and  wooden  houses  strung 
along  the  river.  Founded  long  before  by  the 
French  as  a  trading  post,  it  had  not  developed 
much  beyond  that  when  visited  by  Deerfoot  and 
his  companions.  The  Mississippi  was  broad, 
muddy  from  recent  freshets  and  rapid.  Look- 
ing across  to  the  town  the  Shawanoe  declared 
that  it  would  not  do  to  attempt  to  swim  the 
river,  though  the  task  was  not  impossible. 


AN  ACQUAINTANCE.  59 

It  was  early  in  the  forenoon  when  they  came 
to  the  Father  of  Waters,  and  they  began  making 
signals  to  those  on  the  other  side  to  come  to 
their  help.  There  were  plenty  of  boatmen  who 
turned  an  honest  penny  in  this  way,  and  the 
party  was  not  kept  waiting  long.  A  broad  flat 
boat,  with  a  square  sail,  was  seen  to  put  out 
from  the  wharf,  and  the  two  occupants  began 
laboring  with  might  and  main.  They  used 
long  poles  for  most  of  the  distance,  for  the  wind 
was  more  favorable  for  the  return,  then  swung 
big  paddles,  and  so  at  last  brought  the  awk- 
ward craft  to  the  eastern  bank. 

The  situation  was  complicated  at  first 
because  the  couple  were  Frenchmen  who  could 
hardly  speak  a  word  of  English,  but  it  was  easy 
to  make  them  understand  that  their  services 
were  needed  to  place  the  party  in  the  town  on 
the  other  bank.  George  and  Victor  Shelton 
had  a  moderate  supply  of  Spanish  silver — that 
country  still  claiming  the  territory — and  Deer- 
foot  carried  some.  The  Blackfoot,  of  course, 
had  nothing  of  the  kind.  The  price  asked  by 
the  Frenchmen  was  moderate,  and  men  and  ani- 
mals went  aboard. 

Horses  and  owners  proved  a  dangerously 


60  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

heavy  cargo.  The  looks  of  fear  showed  on  the 
faces  of  the  voyageurs,  as  they  were  by  pro- 
fession, when  Zigzag,  the  last,  stepped  gingerly 
aboard  with  his  load.  Even  Deerfoot  was  anx- 
ious, for  the  flatboat  sank  near  to  its  gunwales. 
Fortunately  a  moderate  breeze  was  blowing  in 
the  right  direction,  and  by  trimming  boat  and 
using  care  the  party  made  the  passage  without 
mishap. 

On  the  western  bank  our  friends  found  them- 
selves in  a  motley  and  interesting  community. 
The  chief  business  of  St.  Louis,  as  it  continued 
to  be  long  afterward,  was  trading  in  furs. 
From  that  point  boats  ascended  the  Mississippi 
or,  a  short  distance  above,  turned  off  up  the 
Missouri,  the  big  brother  of  the  great  stream, 
carrying  with  them  hunters  and  trappers,  some 
of  whom  remained  for  long  months  in  the  wild 
regions  of  the  Northwest.  When  the  voy~ 
ageurs,  with  their  rhythmic  songs  and  vigorous 
swing  of  their  oars,  came  down  the  river  again, 
they  brought  with  them  valuable  loads  of 
peltries,  which  found  ready  sale  at  the  post. 
The  pay  received  by  these  hardy  adventurers, 
and  which  represented  in  most  instances  toil, 
privations  and  perils  extending  through  many 


AN  ACQUAINTANCE.  61 

weary  weeks,  was,  as  a  rule,  speedily  wasted  in 
riotous  living.  Penniless,  remorseful  and  with- 
out credit,  the  hunters  and  trappers  had  no 
choice  but  to  make  off  again,  returning  in  due 
time  to  repeat  their  folly,  or  mayhap  to  fall 
victims  to  the  treachery  of  the  red  men  whose 
territory  they  invaded. 

The  visitors  attracted  less  attention  than 
they  expected.  Indians  and  white  hunters  were 
too  common  a  sight  in  St.  Louis  to  be  remarked 
upon.  Perhaps  if  the  inhabitants  had  known 
that  the  last  visitors  were  on  their  way  to  the 
other  side  of  the  continent  they  would  have 
given  them  more  heed,  but,  on  the  advice  of 
Deerfoot,  the  secret  was  kept  from  all  chance 
acquaintances. 

When  Mul-tal-la  and  his  companion  came 
down  the  Missouri  in  a  canoe  it  was  easy 
enough  to  transport  themselves  to  the  eastern 
bank.  They  obtained  the  boat  in  the  country 
of  Iowa  Indians,  and,  leaving  it  on  the  eastern 
bank,  never  saw  it  again. 

As  a  good  deal  of  the  day  remained  the 
travelers  ate  their  noon  meal  at  one  of  the 
taverns,  where  the  food  was  less  inviting  than 
the  game  secured  by  their  own  rifles,  and  then 


62  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

remounting,  they  headed  across  the  country  for 
a  hamlet  named  La  Charrette,  about  which  they 
had  made  inquiries  and  learned  that  it  was 
the  last  white  settlement  on  the  Missouri.  It 
was  too  far  to  reach  that  day,  but  they  expected 
to  make  it  on  the  morrow  if  no  check  occurred. 
Even  though  they  were  so  near  St.  Louis  they 
found  no  lack  of  game,  and  the  question  of  food 
gave  them  the  least  concern  of  any.  The 
Blackfoot,  however,  had  told  his  friend  more 
than  once  that  they  were  to  reach  sections 
where  the  matter  would  be  found  one  of  con- 
siderable difficulty. 

La  Charrette  proved  to  be  a  dilapidated  ham- 
let of  half  a  dozen  log  cabins,  standing  close 
to  the  river.  The  country  was  so  open  when 
they  approached  the  wretched  dwellings  that 
our  friends  were  riding  in  a  bunch,  with  Zig- 
zag a  little  to  the  rear.  Several  half -clothed 
children  were  seen  playing  in  the  mud  near  the 
water's  edge,  but  no  one  else  for  the  moment 
was  visible.  Deerfoot  had  just  remarked  that 
he  was  so  unfavorably  impressed  with  the 
appearance  of  the  little  settlement  that  they 
would  not  stop,  as  had  been  his  intention,  when 
a  man  was  seen  to  come  out  of  the  door  of  the 


AN  ACQUAINTANCE.  63 

nearest  cabin.  He  carried  a  long  rifle,  was 
dressed  in  the  costume  of  the  hunters  of  Ken- 
tucky, and  was  as  straight  and  erect  as  an 
Indian.  He  paused  and  looked  down  at  the 
children,  apparently  unaware  of  the  approach 
of  the  horsemen. 

Victor,  who  was  riding  at  the  elbow  of  Deer- 
foot,  heard  him  utter  an  exclamation  of  aston- 
ishment. Turning  his  head,  he  saw  the  Shaw- 
anoe  intently  studying  the  man  who  had  just 
come  into  view.  The  next  moment  Deerfoot 
made  another  exclamation,  and,  leaping  from 
his  horse,  ran  to  ward -the  other.  The  latter 
was  quick  to  detect  the  sound  of  his  footsteps, 
and  turned  to  look  at  him.  As  he  did  so  the 
boys  gained  a  fair  view  of  his  face.  He  had 
a  somewhat  elongated  countenance,  was 
smoothly  shaven,  with  a  prominent  nose,  and 
seemed  to  be  in  middle  life. 

It  was  evident  that  he  recognized  Deerfoot 
before  the  latter  reached  him.  The  man  was 
seen  to  smile,  stride  forward  and  warmly  grasp 
the  hand  of  the  dusky  youth,  while  the  two 
talked  fast,  though  their  words  could  not  be 
overheard. 

"They  seem  to  be  old  acquaintances, "  said 


64  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

the  wondering  Victor.  "I  don't  see  how  that 
can  be,  for  Deerf  oot  has  never  been  in  this  part 
of  the  country." 

"But  the  man  may  have  been  in  ours.  I 
never  saw  him  before;  have  you?" 

The  hunter  had  turned  his  gaze  from  the 
face  of  Deerfoot,  apparently  because  of  some- 
thing said  by  him,  and  was  looking  at  the 
Blackf  oot  and  the  brothers,  who  were  approach- 
ing with  their  horses  on  a  slow  walk.  Deer- 
foot  also  turned  and  beckoned  the  boys  to  draw 
near.  They  did  so,  scrutinizing  the  stranger, 
whom  they  certainly  had  never  seen  until  then. 

To  their  amazement  the  young  Shawanoe 
introduced  them  to  Daniel  Boone,  the  most 
famous  pioneer  of  the  early  West.  The  boys 
had  heard  of  him  times  without  number,  for  he 
was  an  old  acquaintance  of  their  father,  and 
they  knew  how  intimate  he  and  Kenton  had 
been.  He  was  genial  and  pleasant,  although 
always  inclined  to  reserve,  and  insisted  that 
the  company  should  dismount  and  spend  the 
rest  of  the  day  and  night  with  him. 

It  was  hard  to  refuse,  but  the  signs  of  pov- 
erty, and  especially  the  sight  of  several  wan 
faces  peering  through  the  broken  windows. 


Daniel  Boone  and  Deerfoot. 


AN  ACQUAINTANCE.  65 

decided  Deerfoot  that  it  would  be  more  consid- 
erate for  them  to  make  excuse.  The  presence 
of  so  many,  even  if  divided  among  several 
households,  could  not  but  be  burdensome. 

But  the  boys  dismounted  and  walked  with 
Deerfoot  and  Boone  to  the  cabin  from  which 
the  pioneer  had  emerged,  and  found  seats  on 
the  broken-down  porch.  The  Blackfoot  pre- 
ferred to  stay  where  he  was  and  look  after  the 
horses. 

The  talk  was  one  that  the  boys  remembered 
all  their  lives.  The  sight  of  Deerfoot,  who 
was  as  well  known  to-  Boone  as  to  Kenton, 
seemed  to  warm  the  cockles  of  the  pioneer's 
heart,  and  he  talked  with  a  freedom  that  would 
have  astonished  his  friends.  Deerfoot  did  not 
hesitate  to  tell  him  of  the  destination  of  him- 
self and  boys  and  the  long  venturesome  journey 
before  them.  The  mild  blue  eyes  lit  up. 

"I  wish  I  could  go  with  you!"  exclaimed 
Boone. 

' '  Why  can 't  you  1' '  asked  Deerfoot.  * '  It  will 
make  all  our  hearts  glad." 

The  great  ranger  shook  his  head. 

"No;  I'm  too  old." 

"Why,  you  can't  be  more  than  fifty,  if  you 
are  that  much,"  sqjd  the  impulsive  Victor. 


66  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

With  a  smile  that  showed  his  fine,  even  teeth, 
Boone  said: 

"  Fifty  years  ago  I  was  older  than  Deerfoot 
is  now,  for  I'm  close  to  three  score  and  ten.  I 
do  a  little  hunting,  as  I  expect  to  do  to  the  end 
of  my  life,  but  I  couldn't  stand  such  a  tramp 
as  you  have  started  on,  my  friends.  How- 
sumever,  it's  the  best  thing  in  the  world  for 
these  youngsters,  and  they  couldn't  have  better 
company  than  Deerfoot." 

"We  found  that  out  long  ago,"  said  George 
Shelton  warmly.  "If  it  hadn't  been  for  him, 
my  brother  and  I  would  have  never  lived  to 
be  here." 

"My  brother  shouldn't  talk  that  way,"  pro- 
tested the  Shawanoe  with  a  blush. 

"Haven't  you  always  told  us  to  speak  the 
truth?"  asked  Victor.  "And  you  know  what 
George  just  said  is  as  true  as  it  can  be. ' ' 

Deerfoot  would  have  liked  to  deny  it,  but 
he  could  not.  Nevertheless,  it  was  not  pleasing 
to  listen  to  praise  of  himself,  as,  I  am  forced  to 
say,  he  was  often  compelled  to  do.  He  shook 
his  head  and  looked  at  Boone. 

"How  long  has  my  brother  lived  here!" 

"Between  two  and  three  years.  I  expect 
to  stay  with  my  relatives  till  I  die. ' ' 


AN  ACQUAINTANCE.  67 

The  veteran  again  urged  the  company  to 
remain  over  night  with  him.  Their  presence 
had  already  drawn  the  attention  of  every 
inhabitant  of  the  hamlet.  Boone  remarked 
that  most  of  the  men  were  off  hunting,  but 
loungers  were  noticed  in  front  of  several  of  the 
cabins  staring  curiously  at  the  visitors,  while 
the  women  and  children  did  most  of  their 
gaping  from  the  windows.  Most  of  these  were 
composed  of  oiled  paper  punched  through  by 
soiled  fingers,  but  several  had  been  furnished 
with  glass,  and  there  seemed  hardly  a  single 
sound  pane  among  them  all. 

Fearing  that  the  people  would  crowd  closer, 
as  they  were  beginning  to  do,  Deerfoot  took 
advantage  of  the  renewed  invitation  to  rise  to 
his  feet  and  say  that  it  was  time  they  were  on 
the  way  again.  Throughout  the  interview  the 
Blackfoot  sat  on  his  horse  gazing  indifferently 
to  the  westward,  as  if  he  discovered  nothing 
of  interest  in  any  direction. 

Boone  warmly  shook  the  hands  of  Deerfoot 
and  the  boys,  and  waved  them  good-bye  as  they 
rode  away. 

You  have  learned  something  of  Daniel 
Boone,  the  great  pioneer  of  Kentucky,  though, 


68  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

as  I  have  told  you,  Simon  Kenton  was  his 
superior  in  many  respects.  Boone  was  earlier 
on  the  ground,  being  considerably  older  than 
Kenton,  and  that  fact  helped  his  fame.  He 
was  a  colonel  in  the  United  States  Army,  and 
went  to  Kentucky  before  the  opening  of  the 
Kevolution.  In  1793  he  removed  to  Upper 
Louisiana,  which  at  that  time  belonged  to  the 
Spaniards,  who  appointed  him  a  commandant 
of  a  district.  It  is  worth  adding,  in  conclusion, 
that  both  Boone  and  Kenton  lived  well  beyond 
four-score.  There  is  no  denying  that  an  out- 
door life  is  healthful  and  tends  to  longevity, 
even  though,  as  in  their  cases,  it  was  attended 
with  privation,  suffering  and  no  little  danger. 


CHAPTER  V. 

A  CLOSE  CALL. 

NOW  you  must  not  forget  that  most  of 
the  names  of  rivers,  mountains  and 
settlements  which  I  use  in  this  story 
had  no  existence  when  Deerfoot  and  his  friends 
started  on  their  journey  across  the  continent. 
A  large  number  of  these  names  were  bestowed 
by  Captains  Lewis  and  Clark,  who  came  after 
the  little  party.  Some  of  the  titles  have  stuck, 
and  a  good  many  have  undergone  changes.  It 
was  these  explorers  who  gave  the  Rocky  (then 
known  as  Stony)  Mountains  their  name,  to  say 
nothing  of  other  peaks  and  ranges.  Lewis  and 
Clark  showed  much  ingenuity  in  making  up  the 
long  list,  and  it  must  be  admitted  that  in  many 
instances  the  change  of  title  since  then  was  not 
an  improvement. 

Our  friends  left  the  Missouri  some  distance 
beyond  old  Fort  Osage,  where  the  stream 
changes  its  course,  and  instead  of  flowing 
directly  east,  comes  from  the  north.  They 


70  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

headed  a  little  south  of  northwest,  and  when  we 
look  upon  them  again  the  four  were  in  the 
western  part  of  the  present  State  of  Kansas  and 
below  the  Arkansas  Eiver.  Had  they  turned 
south  they  would  have  had  to  cross  only  a  com- 
paratively narrow  neck  of  Oklahoma  to  enter 
the  immense  State  of  Texas. 

By  this  time  it  was  early  summer  and  the 
region  was  like  fairyland.  The  surface  was 
rolling  prairie,  and  the  luxuriant  grass  was 
dotted  with  an  exuberance  of  wild  flowers,  bril- 
liant, beautiful  and  fragrant,  while  the  soft  blue 
sky,  flecked  here  and  there  by  snowy  patches 
of  cloud,  shut  down  on  every  hand.  North, 
south,  east,  west,  every  point  of  the  compass 
showed  the  same  apparently  limitless  expanse 
of  rolling  prairie,  watered  by  many  streams 
and  fertile  as  the  ' '  Garden  of  the  Lord. ' ' 

The  party  had  become  accustomed  to  the 
varying  scenery  which  greeted  them  from  the 
hour  of  leaving  their  distant  home,  and  especi- 
ally after  crossing  the  Mississippi,  but  they 
were  profoundly  impressed  by  the  wonderful 
loveliness  on  every  hand.  Mul-tal-la  had 
passed  over  the  same  ground  before,  but  it  was 
not  clothed  in  such  enchanting  verdure.  Not 


A  CLOSE  CALL.  71 

a  single  tree  was  in  sight,  but  the  grass  in  some 
places  brushed  the  bellies  of  the  horses,  and  no 
one  needed  to  be  told  that  at  no  distant  day  the 
region  would  become  one  of  the  most  pros- 
perous on  the  continent. 

At  intervals  the  horsemen  came  to  higher 
swells  in  the  prairies,  upon  which  they  halted 
and  surveyed  the  surrounding  country.  While 
the  weather  was  warm,  there  was  just  a  touch 
of  coolness  which  made  it  ideal  for  riding,  walk- 
ing or,  in  fact,  living  and  drawing  one 's  breath. 

The  best  of  fortune  had  attended  the  little 
company  thus  far.  There  had  been  some 
delays  and  checks  in  crossing  the  streams,  and 
once  Zigzag 's  stubbornness  came  within  a  hair 
of  losing  the  contents  of  the  pack  strapped  to 
his  back.  Bug,  the  horse  of  Mul-tal-la,  wan- 
dered off  one  night,  and  he,  too,  developed  such 
a  spell  of  obstinacy  that  it  was  a  whole  day 
before  he  was  found  again.  Had  he  not  been 
recovered  just  when  he  was  he  would  have  been 
run  off  by  a  party  of  Pawnees,  who  seemed  dis- 
posed to  make  a  fight  for  him.  These  warriors 
were  large,  finely  formed  and  numerous  enough 
to  wipe  out  the  four,  but  the  exercise  of  tact 
finally  adjusted  matters,  and  nothing  more  of 
an  unpleasant  nature  occurred. 


72  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

But,  without  dwelling  upon  these  and  other 
annoying  incidents,  we  find  our  friends  in  the 
section  named  on  this  bright,  sunshiny  fore- 
noon in  early  summer,  riding  at  a  leisurely  gait 
toward  the  setting  sun,  for  the  time  had  not  yet 
come  to  turn  northward  and  make  for  the  hunt- 
ing grounds  of  the  Blackfeet. 

Deerfoot  checked  his  horse  on  the  crest  of 
the  moderate  elevation,  with  one  of  the  brothers 
on  either  side  of  him,  and  Mul-tal-la  farther 
to  the  left.  All  carefully  scanned  the  horizon 
and  the  grand  sweep  of  prairie  that  inclosed 
them  on  every  side. 

"Do  my  brothers  see  anything  more  than  the 
stretch  of  plain?"  asked  Deerfoot. 

Naturally  one  of  the  first  things  done  by 
George  Shelton  at  such  times  was  to  bring  his 
spyglass  to  his  eye.  It  was  a  good  instrument 
and  proved  of  value  to  all.  He  had  been  thus 
engaged  for  several  minutes  when  the  Shaw- 
anoe  asked  his  question. 

"No,"  was  the  reply.  "There  seems  to  be 
no  end  to  waving  grass  and  shining  flower." 

"Let  my  brother  look  to  the  northward," 
said  Deerfoot,  pointing  in  that  direction,  "and 
tell  me  what  he  sees." 


A  CLOSE  CALL.  73 

George  did  as  directed.  At  first  he  saw 
nothing  unusual,  but  as  he  peered  he  observed 
a  change  in  the  color  of  the  landscape.  Far  off 
toward  the  horizon  he  noted,  instead  of  the 
variegated  hue,  a  dark  sweep,  as  if  the  prairie 
ended  on  the  shore  of  a  dun-colored  lake  or  sea. 
It  covered  thirty  degrees  of  the  circle.  His 
first  thought  was  that  it  was  a  large  body  of 
water,  for  as  he  studied  it  closer  he  perceived 
a  restless  pulsation  of  the  surface,  which 
suggested  waves,  though  there  was  not  a 
breath  of  wind  where  the  company  had  halted. 

"It  looks  to  me  like  a  big  body  of  water, " 
said  the  boy,  lowering  his  glass. 

"Let  me  have  a  squint, "  remarked  Victor, 
reaching  for  the  glass,  which  was  passed  to  him. 

Deerfoot  and  Mul-tal-la  did  not  speak,  but 
exchanged  significant  looks. 

Victor  held  the  glass  to  his  eyes  for  several 
minutes,  while  the  others  waited  for  him  to 
speak. 

"It  looks  like  a  body  of  water,"  he  finally 
said,  without  lowering  the  instrument,  "but, 
if  it  is,  it's  coming  this  way!" 

It  was  the  Blackf  oot  who  grinned  and  uttered 
the  single  word: 

"Buffaloes!" 


74  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

"So  they  are!  You  might  have  known  that, 
George." 

"You  didn't  know  it  till  Mul-tal-la  told  you." 

Very  soon  the  animals  were  identified  by  the 
naked  eye.  Numbers  had  been  seen  before,  but 
never  so  large  a  herd  as  that  upon  which  all 
now  gazed  with  rapt  attention.  There  must 
have  been  tens  of  thousands,  all  coming  with 
that  heavy,  plunging  pace  peculiar  to  those 
animals.  Sometimes  an  immense  drove  would 
be  quietly  cropping  the  herbage,  when  a  slight 
flurry  would  set  several  in  motion.  Then  the 
excitement  ran  through  the  whole  lot  with 
almost  electric  suddenness,  and  all  were  soon 
plunging  in  headlong  flight  across  the  plain. 

The  buffalo,  or  more  properly  the  American 
bison,  is  a  stupid  creature  and  subject  to  the 
most  senseless  panics.  Thousands  have  been 
known  to  dash  at  the  highest  speed  straight 
away.  Sometimes  the  leaders  would  come 
abruptly  to  the  top  of  a  lofty  bluff,  perhaps 
overlooking  a  stream  deep  below. .  In  vain  they 
attempted  to  hold  back  or  to  swerve  to  one  side. 
The  prodigious  pressure  from  the  rear  was 
resistless,  and  they  were  driven  over  the  cliff 
into  the  water,  with  the  others  piling  upon 


A  CLOSE  CALL.  75 

them,  and  those  again  borne  under  by  the 
remainder  of  the  herd  until  hundreds  were 
trampled,  smothered  and  drowned  in  the  muddy 
water  beneath.  Only  those  at  the  extreme  rear 
were  able  to  save  themselves,  and  that  not 
through  any  wit  of  their  own. 

As  the  seething  host  bore  down  upon  the 
horsemen  it  was  seen  that  the  front,  which  was 
spread  out  over  an  expanse  of  several  hundred 
yards,  was  coming  straight  for  the  elevation 
upon  which  our  friends  were  waiting  and 
watching  them.  Bellowing  mingled  with  the 
thunderous  tread  of  the  mighty  mass,  and  the 
sight  was  enough  to  awe  the  stoutest  heart. 

"They  will  trample  us  to  death,"  called  the 
scared  Victor,  looking  at  Deerfoot,  who  was 
calmly  contemplating  the  approaching  army. 
The  horses  raised  their  heads,  looked  toward 
the  brown,  undulating  mass,  snuffed,  snorted 
and  trembled  with  terror,  for  their  instinct  told 
them  that  the  peril  was  bearing  down  upon 
them  with  hurricane  swiftness. 

It  would  not  do  to  wait,  for  the  most  frightful 
of  deaths  threatened  the  party.  Mul-tal-la 
slipped  from  his  horse  and  whipped  the  blanket 
from  his  back.  Deerfoot  also  dismounted,  but 


76  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

did  not  take  his  blanket  with  him,  though  he 
carried  his  gun. 

"Let  my  brothers  come  with  me,"  he  said 
sharply  to  the  boys,  who  nervously  sprang  from 
their  saddles  and  hurried  to  his  side. 

The  Blackfoot  ran  a  few  paces  in  front  of 
the  three  and  began  vigorously  waving  the 
blanket  over  his  head,  shouting  at  the  top  of 
his  voice.  At  the  same  moment  Deerfoot 
leveled  his  gun  and  fired  at  the  nearest  bison, 
which  was  less  than  a  hundred  yards  off.  The 
bullet  struck  the  gigantic  head,  but  the  beast 
did  not  suffer  the  slightest  harm.  He  plunged 
forward  with  the  same  impetuosity  as  before. 

Deerfoot  caught  the  gun  from  George's 
grasp  and  fired  again,  but  with  no  more  effect 
than  at  first.  The  horses  were  snorting  and 
rearing  and  in  danger  of  breaking  off  in  the 
irrestrainable  panic  shown  by  the  bison.  The 
Shawanoe  reached  for  the  rifle  of  Victor,  and 
the  lad  eagerly  passed  the  weapon  to  him. 

"Let  my  brothers  look  to  the  horses,"  he 
called,  still  cool  but  under  restrained  excite- 
ment. The  boys  ran  to  the  animals  and 
immediately  found  their  hands  full,  for  a  horse 
frantic  with  fear  is  one  of  the  most  unmanage- 
able of  creatures. 


A  CLOSE  CALL.  77 

Deerfoot  did  not  discharge  the  third  weapon, 
but  awaited  the  chance  to  make  his  shot 
effective.  It  was  a  waste  of  ammunition  to 
launch  a  bullet  at  the  iron-like  front  of  a  bison. 
The  surest  avenue  to  his  seat  of  life  is  back  of 
the  foreleg.  The  heads  were  held  so  low  by 
the  plunging  brutes  that  they  acted  as  shields 
to  the  vulnerable  portions  from  that  direction, 
and  the  position  of  the  Shawanoe  did  not  allow 
a  favorable  aim. 

Mul-tal-la  ran  several  steps  toward  the 
thundering  herd,  and  then  began  leaping  into 
the  air,  swinging  his  blanket  and  shouting  like 
a  crazy  man.  In  any  other  circumstances  his 
antics  would  have  caused  a  laugh,  but  this  was 
no  time  for  merriment.  Deerfoot  was  the  only 
tranquil  member  of  the  party,  and  he  stood 
with  weapon  half  raised,  unable  to  decide  what 
to  do  to  avert  the  peril  sweeping  down  upon 
them  like  a  hurricane. 

Seconds  were  beyond  value.  Unless  the 
bison  were  diverted  at  once  the  breath  of  life 
would  be  crushed  out  of  the  four  and  out  of 
their  animals.  Wild  bello wings  filled  the  air, 
and  peculiar  crackling,  rattling  sounds,  limit- 
less in  number,  were  heard.  These  were  caused 


78  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

by  the  contact  of  the  horns  of  the  bison,  which 
were  crowded  so  close  in  many  places  that  the 
wonder  was  how  they  were  able  to  move  at  all. 

The  last  hope  seemed  to  lie  in  the  Blackfoot. 
Unless  his  shoutings  and  contortions  with  the 
fluttering  blanket,  which  threatened  to  be 
whipped  into  shreds,  checked  the  furious 
beasts,  they  could  not  be  stayed  at  all.  He 
produced  no  more  effect  than  the  flicker  of  a 
straw  in  the  wind. 

At  this  appalling  juncture,  Deerfoot,  with 
both  arms  outstretched,  the  left  hand  hold- 
ing the  rifle  of  Victor  Shelton,  dashed  toward 
the  head  of  the  herd,  which  was  only  a  few  rods 
away.  He  was  seen  to  make  a  tremendous 
leap,  which  landed  him  on  the  back  of  an  enor- 
mous bull.  Instead  of  firing  the  gun,  he 
grasped  it  by  the  barrel  and  smote  the  bison 
with  the  stock,  the  blow  descending  upon  one  of 
his  eyes.  The  youth's  strange  position,  which 
he  managed  to  maintain,  gave  him  the  first 
chance  to  make  a  telling  shot.  Like  a  flash  he 
fired  at  the  nearest  bison,  sending  the  bullet 
down  through  the  forepart  of  his  body  and  into 
a  spot  so  vital  that,  with  a  frenzied  bellow,  he 
stumbled  forward  and  rolled  over  and  over  like 


A  CLOSE  CALL.  7* 

a  huge  block  of  wood  driven  from  the  throat 
of  a  giant  piece  of  ordnance. 

While  executing  his  lightning-like  move- 
ments, the  Shawanoe  added  his  shoutings  to 
those  of  his  friend,  and  then  laid  about  him 
with  the  clubbed  weapon.  The  unique  per- 
formances of  the  two  did  the  business.  The 
fall  of  one  bison,  the  strange  figure  dancing  as 
it  seemed  in  mid-air,  injected  a  panic  into  that 
part  of  the  herd,  which  split  into  two  divisions 
that  thundered  past  the  terrified  group  as  if  the 
elevation  formed  a  small  island  in  the  center  of 
a  rushing  torrent. 

Deerfoot  allowed  himself  to  be  carried  a 
number  of  yards  on  the  back  of  his  frantic 
steed.  When  abreast  of  the  horses  he  sprang 
from  his  perch  and  ran  up  beside  them,  where 
the  boys  had  all  they  could  do  to  restrain  the 
animals.  As  if  nothing  unusual  had  occurred, 
the  Shawanoe  joined  in  their  efforts,  and,  by 
main  force,  restrained  the  brutes  from  break- 
ing away  and  diving  among  the  bison,  where 
they  could  not  have  survived  more  than  a  few 
minutes. 

The  wedge  having  been  inserted  into  the 
onrushing  herd,  nothing  more  remained  to  be 


80  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

done.  The  dividing  point  not  only  was  main- 
tained, but  the  bison  began  separating  farther 
back,  so  that  by  and  by  the  partition  point  was 
twice  as  distant  as  at  first. 

None  of  the  rifles  was  loaded,  and  no 
attempt  was  made  to  ram  a  charge  into  them 
while  the  stampede  continued.  The  Blackfoot, 
however,  seemed  to  catch  the  wild  ardor  of 
panic,  and,  dropping  his  blanket,  brought  his 
bow  into  play.  Arrow  after  arrow  was  launched 
at  the  bison.  Though  none  fell,  a  number 
were  grievously  hurt  and,  as  they  dived  past, 
more  than  one  showed  an  arrow  projecting  like 
a  giant  feather  from  some  part  of  his  body. 
So  enormous  was  this  herd  of  bison  that  nearly 
an  hour  passed  before  the  last  galloped  by  and 
followed  with  undiminished  speed  the  thou- 
sands that  were  headed  southward  and  running 
as  if  they  would  never  stop. 


CHAPTER  VI. 
A  MISHAP. 

THE  flight  of  so  immense  a  number  of 
bison    during   the    dry    season    would 
have  filled  the  air  with  thick  clouds  of 
suffocating  dust,  but  our  friends  were  spared 
this  infliction.    It  was  not  only  early  in  the 
season,  when  the  grass  was  green  and  the  soil 
damp,  but  there  had  been  a  heavy  rainfall  a 
couple  of  days  before.  " 

After  the  rear  of  the  herd  had  thundered 
past,  bellowing,  flinging  their  heels  and  putting 
forth  their  best  exertions,  as  if  Death  himself 
were  nipping  at  their  heels,  the  little  party 
having  quieted  their  horses,  remounted  and 
gazed  after  the  vanishing  drove.  A  singular 
result  of  the  shots  of  Deerfoot  and  Mul-tal-la 
showed  itself.  In  neither  case  was  the  bison 
killed  outright,  but  the  one  struck  by  the  Shaw- 
anoe  and  four  of  those  hit  by  the  Blackfoot 
were  so  badly  wounded  that  they  wabbled  and 
sagged  down  and  were  quickly  crushed.  Here 

81 


52  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

and  there,  at  varying  distances,  the  dark  humps 
were  seen  in  the  trampled  grass,  looking  like 
mounds  of  brown  dirt. 

Since  the  four  made  it  a  rule  to  depend  upon 
their  rifles  for  food,  they  had  no  sooner 
reloaded  the  weapons  than  they  set  out  to 
secure  their  dinner  from  the  spoils  before  them. 
All  had  eaten  bison  meat  before.  Though  some 
profess  to  relish  it,  the  flesh  is  rather  tough 
and  sometimes  so  strong  that  it  takes  a  hungry 
man  to  enjoy  such  a  meal.  The  animal,  how- 
ever, like  all  others,  has  his  choice  portions. 

Mul-tal-la  was  sure  that  no  more  palatable 
feast  could  be  had  than  from  buffalo  tongue. 
Accordingly,  he  and  Deerfoot,  leaving  the  rest 
of  the  game  untouched,  provided  themselves 
with  those  delicacies,  which  were  well  cooked 
by  means  of  dried  buffalo  chips,  and  all 
declared  themselves  well  satisfied. 

Strange  that  only  a  comparatively  short  time 
ago  millions  of  bison  roamed  over  the  prairies 
of  the  West,  and  to-day  you  never  meet  a 
specimen  except  the  few  that  are  preserved 
with  difficulty  in  Yellowstone  Park,  and  in 
several  zoological  collections.  The  last  bison 
must  soon  disappear  and  the  animal  become 


A  MISHAP.  83 

extinct,  all  because  of  the  wanton  cruelty  of 
men  who  called  themselves  sportsmen  and 
butchered  the  creatures  by  the  thousand. 

The  dinner  was  made  without  water,  which 
was  a  small  matter,  for  there  was  no  need  of 
the  explorers  suffering  on  that  account,  since 
streams  were  abundant  and  they  did  not  have 
to  travel  far  to  obtain  the  element  of  the  best 
quality. 

It  was  about  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  that 
Deerfoot  led  the  way  up  another  of  the 
numerous  rises  in  the  prairie,  and  halted  to 
give  the  horses  a  needed  rest.  Although  the 
pace  was  kept  at  a  walk,  traveling  through  the 
luxuriant  grass  was  trying,  and  consideration 
was  due  the  animals  who  did  the  work. 

As  usual,  the  four  who  dismounted  scanned 
every  part  of  the  visible  horizon.  George  Shel- 
ton  often  called  his  spyglass  into  use  while 
riding  over  the  plain,  and  thus  gained  the 
pleasure  of  being  the  first  to  announce  certain 
discoveries ;  but  the  elevations,  that  were  never 
of  much  extent,  gave  a  more  favorable  view. 

Directly  westward,  in  a  line  with  the  course 
they  were  pursuing,  all,  without  the  aid  of  the 
glass,  observed  five  or  six  animals  cropping  the 


84  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

grass.  They  were  of  delicate  build,  resembling 
deer,  but  looked  more  dainty  and  graceful.  It 
was  not  until  after  Mul-tal-la  and  Deerfoot  had 
studied  them  for  several  minutes  through  the 
glass  that  the  former  made  known  their  nature. 
They  were  antelopes,  one  of  the  fleetest  and 
most  quick-sighted  animals  in  the  West. 

Although  they  were  fully  a  fourth  of  a  mile 
away,  they  saw  the  travelers  the  instant  they 
came  up  the  rise  of  land.  They  tossed  their 
heads  and  stared  at  the  strangers  while  the 
latter  were  studying  them.  Then  they  dashed 
off  with  the  speed  of  the  wind,  but  did  not 
go  far  when  they  stopped  short,  turned  part 
way  round  and  gazed  at  the  horsemen,  as  if 
expecting  them  to  follow.  Seeing  they  did  not, 
the  antelopes  resumed  their  grazing,  the  two 
most  timid  stopping  every  now  and  then  to  look 
up,  as  if  in  doubt  whether  they  ought  not  to 
place  a  greater  distance  between  them  and  the 
strange-looking  creatures  on  the  elevation. 

''Would  my  brothers  like  to  eat  of  antelope?" 
asked  Mul-tal-la,  addressing  all  three  of  his 
companions. 

"I  suppose  it  would  taste  good,"  replied 
Victor,  "for  everything  tastes  that  way  in  this 


A  MISHAP.  85 

part  of  the  world,  which  I  suppose  is  because 
I'm  so  plaguey  hungry  most  of  the  time." 

"Mul-tal-la  cannot  get  nigh  enough  to  bring 
down  the  antelopes,"  remarked  Deerfoot,  "for 
they  go  faster  than  any  of  our  horses  can  run. ' ' 

"My  brother  Deerfoot  cannot  get  near 
enough  to  shoot  an  antelope,  but  Mul-tal-la 
finds  no  trouble  in  doing  so." 

The  brothers  were  astonished  by  the  audacity 
of  this  remark.  Did  the  Blackfoot  presume  to 
think  his  fleetness  of  foot  could  be  compared 
with  that  of  the  Shawanoe,  who  had  never  met 
his  equal?  They  looked  at  Deerfoot  to  see  how 
he  took  the  slur.  He  was  never  troubled  by 
such  trifles. 

"It  will  please  the  heart  of  Deerfoot  to  see 
his  brother  bring  back  one  of  the  antelopes. 
Does  he  want  Deerfoot 's  gun?" 

"No;  it  shall  be  done  with  Mul-tal-la 's  bow 
and  arrow,"  was  another  surprising  declara- 
tion. 

Saying  no  more,  the  Blackfoot,  bearing  his 
long  bow  in  his  right  hand,  walked  down  the 
gentle  slope  and  moved,  not  toward  the  ante- 
lopes, but  to  the  south.  The  timid  creatures 
noticed  him  at  once,  for  he  made  no  effort  to 


86  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

conceal  himself.  All  the  six  raised  their  heads 
and  watched  him  with  evident  misgiving.  The 
two  that  had  shown  so  much  fear  from  the  first 
glanced  first  at  him  and  then  at  the  group  on 
the  rise  in  the  prairie,  as  if  uncertain  which 
was  the  most  to  be  dreaded. 

Had  Mul-tal-la  walked  directly  toward  the 
animals  they  would  have  been  off  like  so  many 
arrows,  but  he  bore  away  as  if  they  were  not  in 
his  mind.  As  it  was,  however,  three  of  the 
antelopes  galloped  a  hundred  yards  or  so  to  the 
north,  when,  seeing  that  their  companions  did 
not  follow,  they  stopped  and  resumed  their 
staring. 

The  warrior  walked  steadily  until  he  was 
equidistant  from  his  friends  and  from  the  ante- 
lopes. Still  facing  away  from  the  latter,  he 
now  sank  to  the  ground  and  began  creeping 
toward  the  animals.  Deerfoot,  who,  like  the 
boys,  was  watching  every  movement,  smiled. 

"They  will  not  let  my  brother  come  nigh 
enough  to  reach  them  with  an  arrow, "  he 
remarked,  not  a  little  amused  over  what  looked 
like  the  certain  discomfiture  of  his  companion, 
for,  despite  the  tall  grass,  he  was  sure  to  be 
detected  by  the  creatures. 


A  MISHAP.  87 

Sure  enough,  he  had  advanced  but  a  little  way 
when  the  whole  six  bounded  off  as  if  they  would 
never  stop.  Mul-tal-la  ceased  crawling,  but 
did  not  rise. 

"What  is  he  doing? "  asked  the  puzzled  Vic- 
tor, closely  watching  the  red  man,  who  could 
be  plainly  seen  without  the  aid  of  the  glass. 

His  action  was  curious.  Still  lying  on  his 
face,  he  raised  one  hand  as  far  above  his  head 
as  he  could  reach,  and  slowly  waved  it  from 
side  to  side  with  a  regular,  pendulum  move- 
ment. The  antelopes  that  were  bounding  off 
abruptly  stopped,  wheeled  part  way  round  and 
stared  at  the  oscillating  hand.  They  stood  for 
a  little  while,  and  then  one  of  them  began  step- 
ping cautiously  toward  the  object.  The  others 
reluctantly  imitated  him,  so  that  the  singular 
sight  of  six  antelopes  marching  carefully  in 
Indian  file  was  displayed.  Deerfoot  chuckled, 
for  he  now  understood  the  trick. 

Before  long  the  leader  paused,  stared  a 
moment,  and  then,  whirling  suddenly  around, 
dashed  off  with  an  amazing  burst  of  speed, 
only,  however,  to  run  for  less  than  fifty  yards, 
when  the  former  performance  was  repeated. 
The  foremost  halted,  turned  once  more  and 


88  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

stepped  gingerly  in  the  direction  of  that  hand, 
with  the  fringed  covering  for  the  arm,  swaying 
from  side  to  side.  This  time  he  approached 
nearer  than  before,  though  with  frequent  halts 
and  bluffs  at  dashing  off  again. 

Had  Mul-tal-la  varied  his  rhythmic  swing  or 
risen  to  a  stooping  posture  even,  or  tried  to 
creep  nearer,  the  antelopes  would  have  fled  like 
so  many  birds  on  the  wing.  But  his  action  was 
that  of  an  automaton,  and  all  the  time  he  lay 
low  in  the  grass,  never  removing  his  eyes  from 
the  game  he  had  marked  for  his  own. 

First  forward,  then  a  halt,  then  a  brief 
retreat,  followed  by  a  still  closer  approach, 
the  little  farce  went  on,  until  the  interested 
Deerfoot  and  the  boys  saw  that  the  foremost 
antelope  was  almost  within  reach  of  Mul-tal-la. 
Then  for  some  time  the  issue  looked  doubtful. 

But  the  same  cause  that  has  been  the  death 
of  unnumbered  antelopes  proved  the  undoing 
of  another  on  this  particular  afternoon.  Five 
remained  in  the  background,  but  one,  and  he 
the  best  of  the  bunch,  kept  slowly  stepping,  with 
frequent  stops,  until  at  last  he  crossed  the  dead 
line  and  sealed  his  fate. 

The  pretty  creature  seemed  to  awaken  to  the 


A  MISHAP.  89 

startling  fact,  for  he  abruptly  wheeled  to  dash 
off.  In  the  act  of  turning  Mul-tal-la  quickly, 
drew  his  arrow  to  a  head  and  launched  it.  The 
watchers  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  feathered 
missile  as  it  rose  from  the  grass,  made  a  slight 
curve,  and,  while  the  antelope  was  turning, 
buried  itself  to  the  feather  in  his  side,  entering 
just  back  of  the  fore  leg. 

The  victim  made  a  leap  straight  up  in  air, 
spun  around  several  times  like  a  top,  and  then 
dived  to  the  ground,  rolled  on  its  side,  and, 
after  some  pawings,  ceased  to  struggle.  Never 
was  game  more  fairly  brought  down. 

The  moment  Mul-tal-la  let  fly  with  the  arrow 
he  sprang  to  his  feet  and  hurried  after  it.  The 
five  antelopes  were  off  at  full  speed,  never 
pausing,  and  soon  disappeared  in  the  distance. 
The  Blackfoot  was  seen  to  bend  over  his  quarry 
and  busy  himself  with  his  knife.  Then  he 
walked  proudly  toward  his  friends,  bringing 
his  prize  with  him.  He  had  done  what  he 
promised,  and  all  congratulated  him. 

It  was  still  early  in  the  afternoon  and  the 
party  resumed  traveling,  deflecting  a  little  to 
the  south.  Before  it  was  dark  they  came  to  a 
small  tributary  of  the  Arkansas,  where  they 


90  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

decided  to  camp  for  the  night.  When  the  ante- 
lope meat  was  dressed,  washed  and  broiled  in 
the  same  way  as  their  midday  meal  had  been 
prepared,  it  proved  rather  disappointing.  The 
animal  was  lean,  the  meat  tough  and  not 
specially  palatable.  It  was  agreed  that  they 
would  have  done  better  by  making  use  of  the 
best  portions  of  one  of  the  bison  which  had 
been  brought  down. 

Mul-tal-la,  who  knew  all  about  these  timid 
creatures,  told  his  friends  of  their  most 
striking  peculiarity.  While  it  is  impossible  to 
approach  them  by  direct  means,  an  appeal  to 
their  insatiate  curiosity  rarely  or  never  fails. 
Even  the  wolves  make  use  of  this  remarkable 
weakness.  One  of  the  cunning  pests  will  lie, 
in  the  grass,  revealing  just  enough  of  his  head 
or  body  to  attract  the  notice  of  the  antelopes 
in  the  distance.  The  trick  is  more  difficult  in 
this  case  than  when  a  hunter  plays  it.  Some- 
times it  is  so  prolonged,  because  of  the  sus- 
picions of  the  game,  that  one  wolf  will  relieve 
another  before  the  victim  is  brought  near 
enough  to  be  seized. 

A  more  common  plan  is  for  the  wolves  to 
attack  the  creatures  when  crossing  rivers  or 


A  MISHAP.  91 

large  streams.  They  are  poor  swimmers, 
though  among  the  fleetest  of  animals,  and  are 
helpless  when  thus  assailed. 

The  morrow  proved  as  fine  as  the  preceding 
two  or  three  days.  The  sun  shone  bright  and 
the  few  clouds  drifting  across  the  sky  only 
served  to  make  the  deep  blue  softer  and  more 
beautiful.  While  the  morning  was  somewhat 
cool,  the  weather  was  quickly  modified  by  the 
rays  of  the  sun.  Even  the  horses  seemed  to 
catch  the  glow  of  high  spirits  and  broke  into 
an  easy  gallop  without  any  urging  on  the  part 
of  their  riders.  Zigzag  was  the  only  one  that 
objected,  and  he  did  it  through  simple  stub- 
bornness, for  his  burden  was  not  onerous. 

The  afternoon  of  this  day  brought  an  experi- 
ence to  Deerfoot  the  like  of  which  was  never 
known  before  or  afterward.  He  was  thrown 
from  his  horse,  and  that,  too,  when  his  gait  was 
a  walk.  It  came  about  in  this  manner: 

He  was  riding  slightly  in  advance,  as  was  his 
custom.  He  had  swept  the  horizon  with  his 
eyes,  as  he  always  did  at  intervals,  and  seeing 
nothing  unusual,  allowed  himself  to  sink  into 
a  reverie.  This  was  not  amiss,  for  such  spells 
of  meditation  never  lasted  long  and  nothing 


92  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

of  an  alarming  character  could  steal  undetected 
upon  them,  even  if  he  should  forget  his  sur- 
roundings for  an  indefinite  time.  Mul-tal-la 
was  always  alert,  and  George  Shelton  was  as 
fond  as  ever  of  appealing  to  his  spyglass. 

The  horse  Simon  was  walking  easily  forward 
when  one  hoof  entered  a  gopher  hole  and  he 
sank  to  his  knee.  The  stop  was  so  abrupt  that 
Deerfoot,  who  was  entirely  off  his  guard,  slid 
over  the  animal's  neck  to  the  ground.  He  was 
taken  completely  by  surprise,  without  a  second 
for  preparation,  but  even  then  he  dropped  upon 
his  feet  and  turned  to  learn  the  cause  of  the 
mishap. 

George  and  his  brother  smiled  at  the  discom- 
fiture of  their  friend,  but  ceased  the  next 
instant  when  they  saw  that  his  horse  had  been 
seriously  hurt.  He  attempted  to  take  a  step, 
but  checked  himself  with  a  moan  of  pain,  and 
then  rested  on  his  three  legs.  The  alarmed 
Deerfoot  stooped  and  gently  passed  his  hand 
over  the  injured  portion.  Simon  moaned 
again  and  placed  his  nose  on  the  shoulder  of 
his  owner,  as  if  begging  him  to  give  him  relief. 

The  young  Shawanoe  straightened  up,  patted 
the  forehead  of  the  suffering  beast,  and  said  in 
a  choking  voice : 


A  MISHAP.  93 

"His  leg  is  broken V9 

And  then  he  nerved  himself  to  do  the  hardest 
thing  of  his  life.  With  the  eyes  of  the  dumb 
animal  fixed  appealingly  upon  him,  as  if  he. 
read  his  purpose,  Deerfoot  brought  his  rifle  to 
a  level  and  sent  a  bullet  through  the  brain  of 
the  horse. 

It  was  an  act  of  mercy,  but  it  hurt  the  youth 
more  than  the  victim.  He  stood  with  the 
smoking  weapon  in  his  hand,  looked  at  Simon 
as  he  sank  unconscious  to  the  ground,  breathing 
out  his  life  as  he  did  so  with  a  single  pitiful 
moan.  Then  Deerfoot  turned  away  and, 
bowing  his  head,  sobbed  like  a  child. 

Simon  had  always  been  a  good  animal, 
though  he  was  not  the  equal,  either  in  speed 
or  intelligence,  of  many  others ;  but  a  man  and 
horse  cannot  be  comrades  very  long  without 
forming  an  affection  for  each  other.  Deer- 
foot's  kindness  to  such  dumb  beasts  always 
drew  them  toward  him,  and  he  had  learned  to 
love  this  devoted  horse  who  had  borne  hjrp 
hundreds  of  miles  from  his  home. 

Neither  George  nor  Victor  Shelton  spoke,  for 
they  sympathized  so  deeply  with  their  friend 
that  their  voices  would  have  broken  had  they 


94  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

tried  to  utter  a  word.  They  had  reined  up  their 
own  animals,  and  now  quietly  waited  for  the 
Shawanoe  to  speak.  The  Blackfoot  had  also 
halted  and,  instead  of  looking  at  his  comrade, 
turned  his  face  toward  the  west.  Not  a  muscle 
of  his  face  moved,  and  no  one  could  have  read 
his  thoughts,  but  it  cannot  be  doubted  that  he 
sympathized  with  the  young  Shawanoe. 
Unable  to  console  him,  Mul-tal-la  held  his 
peace. 

It  was  several  minutes  before  Deerfoot  was 
able  to  master  his  grief.  By  and  by  he 
regained  his  self-control,  but  all  saw  the  traces 
of  tears  when  he  faced  his  friends.  He  spoke 
in  an  even  voice,  but  his  words  were  remark- 
able: 

"My  brothers,  Deerfoot  has  read  the  Bible 
through  many  times.  He  has  searched  every 
page,  but  has  not  yet  found  a  place  where  it 
says  that  the  poor  animals  like  Simon  shall  not 
inherit  the  kingdom  that  awaits  us.  Deerfoot 
believes  he  shall  meet  Simon  again  in  that  coun- 
try, and  if  my  brothers  think  different  let  them 
not  say  so." 

And  yet  there  are  thousands  to-day  who  hold 
the  same  sweet  belief  that  was  held  by  Deer- 
foot  the  Shawanoe. 


CHAPTER  VH. 

JACK  HALLOWAY. 

THE  loss  of  Deerfoot's  horse  was  received 
more  seriously  by  the  friends  of  the 
young  Shawanoe  than  by  himself. 
There  were  several  ways  of  meeting  the  diffi- 
culty. George  Shelton  proposed  that  the  load 
carried  by  Zigzag  should  be  divided  among  the 
others  and  the  animal  used  by  the  dismounted 
one.  The  latter  shook  his  head,  and  Victor 
suggested  that  he  and  his  brother  take  turns 
with  him  in  riding  their  horses.  Before  that 
proposition  was  made  Mul-tal-la  came  forward 
with  a  similar  one  affecting  only  him  and  his 
comrade. 

The  Shawanoe  declined  them  all. 

"Deerfoot  will  walk,"  he  calmly  said.  "He 
has  done  so  many  times.  He  will  not  grow 
tired  as  soon  as  the  horses.  Let  us  go  for- 
ward. " 

To  show  that  the  question  was  settled  he 
strode  off  across  the  prairie,  carrying  his  rifle 

05 


96  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

in  a  trailing  position  and  stepping  with  his 
elastic  gait,  which  he  could  maintain  hour  after 
hour  without  fatigue.  Moreover,  it  would  have 
been  no  hardship  for  him  to  strike  into  a  lope 
which  would  have  kept  the  animals  at  a  trot 
throughout  the  day.  You  know  that  a  man, 
trained  to  the  exercise,  can  walk  farther  than 
a  horse,  and  no  person  was  ever  better  trained 
than  the  young  Shawanoe. 

The  oppression  caused  by  his  loss  showed 
itself  for  a  long  time.  He  held  his  place  in 
advance  of  the  others,  rarely  speaking  and 
often  acting  as  if  unaware  that  he  had  com- 
panions with  him.  They  respected  his  moods, 
and  though  they  chatted  among  themselves,  said 
little  or  nothing  to  him. 

About  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  the  boys 
descried  an  object  in  the  horizon  to  the  north- 
east, which  at  first  they  took  to  be  a  white  cloud 
heaped  against  the  sky.  But  its  stationary 
position  and  its  peculiar  form  revealed  that  it 
was  a  mountain  peak  whose  summit  was  cov- 
ered with  snow.  Seen  against  the  sky  it  had  a 
soft  bluish  tint  which  made  it  a  most  striking 
figure  in  the  landscape.  The  clear  air  of  these 
regions  makes  distances  deceptive,  objects 


JACK  HALLOVAY.  97 

seeming  to  be  much  nearer  the  spectator  than 
they  are.  When  Victor  said  he  thought  they 
might  camp  that  night  at  its  hase,  the  Black- 
foot  told  him  that  hy  traveling  all  of  next  day 
they  would  hardly  be  able  to  reach  the  moun- 
tain, which  is  one  of  the  loftiest  of  that  section. 

The  truth  of  Mul-tal-la's  words  was  evident 
when,  after  fully  four  hours  of  brisk  walking, 
they  camped  on  the  bank  of  a  small  creek  and 
saw  the  sun  sink  behind  the  mountain  peak, 
which  appeared  to  be  as  far  away  as  ever. 
The  plain  was  still  treeless,  and  the  fire  kindled 
on  the  gently  sloping  bank  was  of  dry  buffalo 
chips  such  as  had  already  done  them  service. 
Before  daylight  had  departed  the  horizon  was 
scanned  with  the  aid  of  the  spyglass  without 
discovering  anything  of  an  unusual  character. 

It  was  the  turn  of  the  red  men  to  act  as  sen- 
tinels, and  Deer  foot  quietly  said  that  he  would 
take  the  first  watch,  calling  the  Blackfoot  when 
he  thought  proper.  As  usual,  he  read  a  chapter 
from  his  Bible.  After  he  had  finished  and  the 
devotions  of  all  were  over,  he  again  took  out 
the  book,  placing  himself  so  that  enough  light 
fell  upon  the  pages  to  permit  him  to  read.  The 
last  sight  that  the  boys  had  of  him  was  in  this 


98  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

motionless  posture  and  occasionally  turning  a 
leaf.  Thus  he  sat  when  the  three  sank  into 
restful  slumber.  The  succulent  grass  was  so 
abundant  that  the  horses,  relieved  of  saddles, 
bridles  and  burdens,  were  left  free  to  crop  as 
long  as  they  chose  and  to  sleep  when  the  notion 
came  to  them. 

A  half  hour  after  his  friends  had  fallen 
asleep  Deerfoot  put  away  his  book  and  rose  to 
his  feet.  It  was  profoundly  still.  On  his  right 
flowed  the  slightly  muddy  stream,  no  more  than 
fifty  feet  wide  and  of  shallow  depth.  In  other 
directions  stretched  the  slightly  rolling  prairie 
until  lost  in  the  gloom.  The  moon  was  near  the 
full,  but  its  light  was  treacherous  and  uncer- 
tain because  of  the  masses  of  clouds  that  slowly 
drifted  across  its  face.  At  times  one  could  see 
quite  clearly  for  a  hundred  yards  or  more,  and 
then  the  shadows  crept  up  to  the  camp,  whose 
fire  threw  out  comparatively  little  light.  Now 
and  then  the  watchful  sentinel  was  able  to  detect 
the  dim  outlines  of  the  farther  shore,  even  when 
the  surface  of  the  stream  did  not  reflect  the 
mild  glow  of  the  fire. 

Nothing  escaped  his  vigilant  eye.  It  was  not 
yet  midnight  when  Bug,  the  horse  of  Mul-tal-la, 


JACK  HALLOVAY.  99 

showed  a  strange  restlessness.  He  whinnied 
softly  two  or  three  times,  and  finally  came  to 
his  feet.  Deerfoot  moved  silently  to  his  side^ 
patted  his  neck  and  spoke  soothingly.  The 
animal  showed  no  alarm,  but  rather  curiosity. 
His  nose  was  pointed  to  the  south,  where  he 
seemed  to  scent  something  unusual. 

The  Shawanoe  waited  till  the  moon  emerged 
from  the  clouds  and  then  peered  in  that  direc- 
tion. He  could  detect  nothing  out  of  the  com- 
mon. He  walked  a  little  way  and  again  waited 
for  the  moon's  face  to  become  unveiled.  Still 
all  looked  the  same  as  before.  He  went  back 
to  Bug  and  found  him  in  the  former  position, 
with  ears  pricked  forward,  nose  thrust  slightly 
out  and  breathing  more  rapidly  than  was  his 
wont.  The  other  horses  gave  no  sign  of  dis- 
turbance. 

The  Shawanoe  was  puzzled.  He  felt  that  if 
this  dumb  brute  was  able  to  detect  the  approach 
of  danger  he  ought  to  do  the  same.  Kneeling, 
he  pressed  one  ear  against  the  damp  ground. 

As  he  did  so  he  was  sensible  of  a  faint 
rhythmic,  velvet-like  tremor,  which  was  inaudi- 
ble when  he  raised  his  head.  Using  the  earth 
again  as  a  medium,  he  listened  and  brought  all 


100  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

his  faculties  into  play.  The  singular  pulsation 
neither  increased  nor  diminished.  The  best 
comparison  he  could  make  was  to  that  of  the 
multitudinous  tramping  of  thousands  of  tiny 
feet  upon  the  earth  miles  away,  recalling  the 
gradual  subsidence  of  the  racket  created  by  the 
stamping  of  the  bison.  Deerfoot  knew  it  was 
not  produced  by  those  animals.  It  could  not 
have  been  elk  or  deer,  for  they  never  herded  in 
such  vast  numbers,  nor  could  it  have  been  made 
by  wolves,  since  their  tread  was  too  soft  for  the 
sound  to  penetrate  far. 

The  Shawanoe  was  mystified.  Eising  to  his 
feet  again  he  stood  gazing  southward,  wonder- 
ing what  strange  thing  was  to  come  out  of  the 
flickering  moonlight.  But  none  appeared,  and 
hearing  a  movement  of  Bug,  he  turned  and  saw 
him  disposing  himself  for  the  night.  He  lay 
down  on  the  grassy  earth,  prepared  to  continue 
the  rest  which  had  been  broken  so  curiously. 

This  looked  as  if  the  uneasiness  of  the  horse 
was  over.  A  few  minutes  later  Deerfoot  again 
placed  his  ear  against  the  ground.  Immedi- 
ately he  was  aware  that  that  faint,  tremulous 
throbbing  which  had  so  mystified  him  was 
passing  away.  Whatever  had  caused  it  was 


" «  Helloa ! 


JACK  HALLOVAY.  JOJ 

receding,  and  soon  the  silence  became  as  pro- 
found as  before.  He  was  still  at  a  loss  to 
understand  its  nature,  though  he  thought  it  was 
produced  by  animals  treading  the  earth  in 
immense  numbers. 

Walking  back  to  camp,  he  noted  the  three 
unconscious  forms  wrapped  in  their  blankets, 
for  there  was  enough  sharpness  in  the  air  to 
make  the  warmth  pleasant  and  little  heat  was 
given  out  by  the  fire.  The  Shawanoe  paused 
just  far  enough  away  to  be  revealed  dimly  in 
the  subdued  glow,  and  was  leaning  on  his  rifle, 
listening,  looking  and  meditating,  when  the 
stillness  was  broken  by  a  single  exclamation : 

"Helical" 

It  was  the  voice  of  a  white  man  on  the  other 
side  of  the  stream  which  ran  close  to  the  camp. 
The  face  of  the  moon  Happened  to  be  clear  at 
that  moment,  and  glancing  across,  Deerfoot  saw 
a  shadowy  figure  standing  on  the  edge  of  the 
water.  The  head  and  front  of  a  horse  showed 
at  his  side,  and  he  was  evidently  studying  the 
camp  upon  which  he  had  come. 

Deerfoot  straightened  up  and  promptly  called 
back: 

'  i  Helloa !     Come  over  and  see  us. ' ' 


J02  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

As  he  spoke  he  walked  down  to  the  edge  of 
the  stream,  as  if  to  meet  the  stranger,  who  in  a 
cheery  voice  replied : 

"That  suits  me.  I  was  thinkin'  of  doin'  that 
same  thing. " 

He  was  seen  to  swing  himself  upon  the  back 
of  his  horse,  whose  ribs  he  kicked  with  his 
heels  and  ordered  forward.  The  animal 
stepped  with  some  hesitation  into  the  water, 
snuffing  and  feeling  his  way.  He  had  advanced 
only  two  or  three  paces  when  Deerfoot  observed 
that  he  was  followed  by  two  other  horses,  each 
of  which  carried  a  large  pack  on  his  back.  The 
distance  was  short,  but  it  took  some  time  for 
the  three  animals  to  ford  the  stream,  which  was 
no  more  than  two  or  three  feet  deep,  with  a 
bottom  of  soft  mud. 

The  moment  the  leader  touched  dry  land  the 
man  slipped  from  the  saddle  and  extended  his 
hand. 

"Why,  you're  an  Injin!"  he  exclaimed.  "I 
didn't  think  that,  but  I'm  powerful  glad  to  see 
you." 

"And  Deerfoot  is  glad  to  see  his  brother," 
replied  the  smiling  Shawanoe,  returning  the 
pressure  of  the  other. 


JACK  HALLOWAY.  MB 

"Who  are  you?"  asked  the  white  man,  peer- 
ing closely  into  the  countenance  as  dimly  seen 
in  the  firelight. 

"Deerfoot,  and  a  Shawanoe  by  birth." 

"Shawanoe,"  repeated  the  white  man.  "I 
don't  remember  havin'  heerd  tell  of  them  var- 
mints— that  is  of  that  tribe/'  he  corrected  with 
a  laugh;  "no  offence." 

"Their  home  is  a  good  many  miles  from  here, 
in  Ohio." 

"Ah!  that  explains  it.  I've  seed  worse 
lookin'  redskins  than  you." 

"And  plenty  better  ones,"  said  Deerfoot 
rather  taken  with  the  off-hand  manner  of  the 
newcomer. 

"Dunno  'bout  that.  There  are  a  few  good 
ones  among  the  redskins  and  some  powerful 
mean  ones.  I'm  suited  with  you  so  fur,  from 
the  ground  up." 

The  visitor  was  of  massive  frame,  fully  six 
feet  high,  broad  in  proportion,  with  a  grizzly 
beard  that  covered  his  face  to  the  eyes  and 
flowed  over  his  breast.  He  was  dressed  like  a 
half-civilized  Indian,  wearing  a  fur  cap,  thick 
shoes  instead  of  moccasins,  and  with  a  heavy, 
loose  coat  flung  over  his  deerskin  hunting  shirt. 


J04  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

He  had  a  strong,  well-formed  nose  and  bright 
gray  eyes,  which  peered  keenly  from  under  his 
shaggy  brows.  His  voice  was  deep,  and  with 
a  genial  musical  tone  which  was  pleasing  and 
fitted  well  his  frank  manner.  He  shifted  his 
long  rifle  to  his  left  hand  when  he  extended  the 
other  to  the  Shawanoe  and  scanned  him  with  a 
sharpness  evidently  acquired  by  his  long 
experience  on  the  prairies  and  in  the  mountains. 

"Deerfoot  is  glad  to  meet  his  brother.  He 
hopes  he  will  stay  for  the  rest  of  the  night  with 
him  and  his  friends. ' ' 

"Who  mought  they  be?"  asked  the  man, 
looking  around  at  the  three  forms  wrapped  in 
blankets  near  the  fire.  The  boys  were  sleep- 
ing quietly,  and  even  the  Blackf oot  did  not  seem 
to  have  been  disturbed  by  the  rather  boisterous 
greeting  of  the  visitor. 

"Afore  you  tell  me  about  'em,  I  guess  I  may 
as  well  unship  my  rudder,"  added  the  latter, 
who  proceeded  deliberately  to  remove  the  loads 
from  the  other  two  horses  and  place  them  on 
the  ground.  Then  each  was  freed  from  his 
belongings  and  given  a  resounding  slap  in  turn: 

' i  Off  with  you  and  none  of  your  tricks.  If  I 
haven't  cured  you  of  tryin'  to  sneak  off  I'll  cure 
you  in  the  mornin',  and  don't  you  forget  it." 


JACK  HALLOW  AY.  JOS 

His  own  horse  kicked  up  his  heels,  flirted  his 
head  and  led  the  way,  the  others  soberly  follow- 
ing out  into  the  gloom  till  they  came  to  the 
place  where  the  animals  of  our  friends  were 
reposing.  There  was  some  neighing,  meant 
for  greetings,  and  then  no  further  attention  was 
given  by  them  to  one  another. 

Deerfoot  flung  some  chips  on  the  blaze  and 
sat  down,  inviting  his  visitor  by  a  gesture  to  do 
the  same.  He  assumed  a  lolling  posture  and 
produced  a  short  black  clay  pipe.  Crumbling 
some  plug  tobacco  in  the  palm  of  his  hand,  he 
poked  it  into  the  bowl  with  his  forefinger  and 
lit  it  from  the  fire. 

"My  name  is  Jack  Halloway,"  he  said,  after 
several  puffs.  "IVe  spent  the  winter  in  the 
mountains,  trapping  beaver  and  foxes  and  sich, 
and  am  on  my  way  to  St.  Louis  with  a  good 
load  of  peltries.  IVe  had  better  luck  than 
usual  and  am  later  in  gettin'  back  than  is 
gin 'rally  the  case,  but  it  paid  to  wait,  though 
I  did  have  some  trouble  with  the  Snake  Injins. 
Howsumever,  you  said  you  was  goin'  to  tell  me 
'bout  your  friends  that  seem  to  be  sleepin' 
powerful  heavy  like." 

Deerfoot  had  decided  that  no  harm  could 


106  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

come  from  telling  this  man  the  truth  about  him- 
self and  his  companions,  and  he  now  did  so. 
The  Indian  belonged  to  the  Blackf  oot  tribe,  and 
had  been  on  a  visit  a  long  way  to  the  east. 
Deerfoot  had  agreed  to  accompany  him  on  his 
return  home,  but  hoped  to  be  with  his  own 
friends  again  the  following  year.  Then  he  told 
of  the  twin  boys,  sons  of  a  friend  of  his.  One 
was  going  into  a  decline  because  of  grief  over 
the  loss  of  his  parent,  and  it  was  agreed  that 
the  only  cure  was  through  diverting  his 
thoughts  and  energies  by  this  long  and  hard 
journey.  That  no  mistake  had  been  made  was 
proved  long  before,  for  the  lad  had  gained  so 
rapidly  in  strength  and  spirits  that  he  was  his 
former  self  again  and  physically  the  equal  of 
his  brother  in  every  respect. 

Jack  Halloway  listened  with  close  interest, 
for  the  story  was  remarkable.  He  sagely 
remarked,  however,  that  if  the  boys  had  been 
so  greatly  benefited  the  wisest  thing  to  do  was 
for  the  three  to  turn  back  and  allow  the  Black- 
foot  to  finish  his  journey  alone. 

"I  jedge  from  what  I've  heerd  that  you're  a 
powerful  cute  Injin  and  know  that,  though 
you're  a  good  many  miles  from  St.  Louis,  you 


JACK  HALLOVAY.  J07 

ain't  half  way  to  the  Pacific  yit.  IVe  never 
been  there  myself,  but  I  know  'nough  of  the 
mountains  and  Injins  to  know  that  the  job  is 
the  biggest  thing  in  all  creation.  Depend  upon 
it,  Shawanoe,  you'll  never  get  home  onless  you 
turn  back  now!9' 

This  was  said  with  great  earnestness,  the 
trapper  nodding  his  head  and  slapping  his  knee 
with  his  palm. 

"The  words  of  my  brother  are  wise,  but  it 
would  sadden  the  hearts  of  my  brothers  if  we 
went  home,  and  he  who  was  ill  would  become 
ill  again  and  die." 

"See  here,  younker,  own  up  now;  it?s  you 
who'd  feel  the  worst." 

And  to  help  make  his  meaning  clear,  Jack 
Halloway  leaned  over  and  thrust  his  thumb  into 
the  ribs  of  Deerfoot  and  chuckled.  The  Shaw- 
anoe could  not  help  smiling. 

"Deerfoot  can  never  be  happy  till  he  looks 
upon  the  face  of  the  great  water  that  lies  far 
toward  the  setting  sun.  He  must  go  on." 

"Wai,  you're  boss  of  the  job,  as  I  can  see 
from  what  you  say,  but  I  want  to  tell  you  one 
thing  that  you  don't  know." 

"There  are  many  things  that  Deerfoot 
doesn't  know." 


JOS  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

The  trapper  glanced  around,  as  if  afraid  of 
being  overheard,  and  then  lowered  his  voice 
almost  to  a  whisper  as  he  leaned  toward  him: 

"The  varmints  in  the  mountains  that  you've 
got  to  git  through  are  gettin'  more  cantakerous 
than  ever.  I've  trapped  and  hunted  among 
'em  for  nigh  onto  twenty  year,  and  never  had 
as  much  trouble  as  last  winter.  I've  been  told 
by  the  boys  that  come  down  the  Missouri  in  the 
spring  that  there's  just  as  good  huntin'  and 
trappin'  up  that  way,  and  the  varmints  don't 
bother  'em  half  as  much  as  out  here;  so  I've 
made  up  my  mind  to  strike  out  for  that  part 
of  the  world  next  fall  when  I  go  for  the  beaver 
runs  agin." 

Jack  Halloway  was  not  slow  to  see  that  his 
warnings  were  thrown  away  on  the  young 
Shawanoe,  and  was  discreet  enough  to  take 
another  line.  He  puffed  his  lips  for  some 
minutes,  continually  glancing  at  Deerfoot,  who 
tried  to  act  as  if  unconscious  of  this  scrutiny, 
which  at  times  became  embarrassing.  Sud- 
denly the  trapper  started  like  a  man  who  had 
forgotten  something. 

"That's  powerful  qu'ar,"  he  said,  "and  I 
beg  your  pardon. ' ' 


JACK  HALLOWAY.  fW 

While  speaking  he  was  groping  hurriedly 
through  an  interior  pocket  of  his  coat,  and  now 
brought  forth  a  flask  and  twisted  the  cork 
from  it. 

"I  allers  take  a  keg  of  it  into  the  mountains, 
for  there's  no  thin'  like  it  when  you  find  the 
weather  a  bit  too  cold,  and  it's  just  as  good 
when  it's  too  hot  or  you've  got  the  blue  devils 
and  don't  feel  right.  After  you." 

And  he  leaned  over  and  reached  the  flask  to 
Deerfoot. 


CHAPTEE 

GOOD  SEED. 

/T\HE  young  Shawanoe  smiled,  shook  his 
head  and  looked  into  the  keen  eyes 
before  him. 

"Deerfoot  thanks  his  brother,  but  he  never 
tasted  of  liquor  and  will  die  before  he  wets  his 
lips  with  it." 

The  amazement  of  the  trapper  was  not  with- 
out its  humorous  feature.  He  remained  lean- 
ing toward  the  youth,  his  hand  outstretched 
with  the  uncorked  flask  in  it  and  staring  at  him 
as  if  literally  paralyzed.  Then  he  drew  a  deep 
breath,  swung  back  and  exclaimed : 

"Wai,  I'll  be  skulped !  You're  the  first  Injin 
I  ever  seed  that  wouldn't  sell  his  moccasins  for 
a  swaller  of  red  eye.  It  gits  me!" 

Deerfoot  watched  him  with  amused  interest. 
Jack  Halloway  held  up  the  flask  at  arm's 
length  and  surveyed  it  thoughtfully.  Once  h« 
started  to  place  it  to  his  lips,  but  shook  his 
head,  then  jammed  the  cork  back  in  place  (the 

no 


GOOD  SEED.  \\\ 

screwed  tops  were  unknown  in  those  days)  and 
thrust  the  flask  into  his  pocket  again. 

"Ef  you  won't  drink  with  me,  Shawanoe,  I 
won't  drink  afore  you." 

"Let  my  brother  do  as  he  feels  like  doing." 

"Which  the  same  is  what  I've  done.  As  I 
was  sayin',  I  allers  take  a  keg  of  the  extract 
of  happiness  with  me  and  manage  things  so  it 
will  last  till  I  get  back  to  St.  Louis;  but  bein' 
as  I  stayed  longer  than  usual,  I've  come  so 
near  running  out  that  that  flask  has  got  to  keep 
me  alive  for  some  weeks  to  come.  I  tell  you 
it's  powerful  tough,  but  there's  no  help  for  it. 
Every  trapper  or  hunter  that  I  run  across — if 
I  run  across  any — will  be  as  bad  off  as  me." 

"When  my  brother  gets  to  St.  Louis  what 
will  he  do  with  his  peltries?" 

"Why,  sell  'em,  of  course.  What  did  you 
think?" 

"He  has  a  good  many,"  remarked  Deerfoot, 
glancing  at  the  piles  on  the  ground  near  at 
hand. 

"You're  right.  It  has  been  a  good  season, 
and  them  skins  is  vallyble.  There's  one  black 
fox  that 's  the  same  as  a  hundred  dollars  to  me, 
and  the  rest  will  bring  three  hundred  dollars 


more." 


112  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

"My  brother  lias  much  money  saved  from 
his  labor." 

"Much  money!  Not  a  blamed  cent,  though 
I  orter  have.  Shawanoe,  the  biggest  fools — I 
admit  it — is  we  trappers,  who  spend  winters  in 
the  mountains,  freezing  starvin'  and  dodging 
redskins,  and  then  travel  hundreds  of  miles  to 
git  back  to  St.  Louis,  where  we  can  sell  our 
peltries  as  quick  as  a  wink.  Then  we  go  onto 
a  big,  glorious  spree,  and  at  the  end  of  a  week 
or  two  haven't  enough  left  to  buy  a  plug  of 
'backer.  We  loaf  around,  doin'  'nough  odd 
jobs  to  keep  us  from  starvin'  till  the  weather 
begins  to  git  cold,  when  we  're  off  for  the  moun- 
tains agin.  And  so  it  goes  year  after  yearr 
and  we're  fools  to  the  end." 

"Is  my  brother  alone  in  the  world!" 

"Lucky  I  haven't  any  wife  or  children,  but 
I've  got  the  best  old  mother  that  ever  drawed 
breath.  She  has  a  little  home  which  she  man- 
ages to  hold  onto  by  takin'  in  sewin'  and  doin' 
little  fancy  things  for  the  neighbors,  who  be 
kind  to  her.  If  they  warn't  I  don't  know  what 
would  become  of  her,  for  I'm  no  good;  I  don't 
deserve  such  a  mother, ' '  added  the  trapper  with 
a  sigh,  "for  she  is  never  as  happy  as  when  I'm 


GOOD  SEED.  JJ3 

with  her,  and  she  'd  work  her  fingers  off  for  me. 
'Bout  all  she  does  is  work  and  pray,  and  nevei 
an  unkind  word  to  say  to  her  good  for  nothin' 
son." 

"By  and  by  she  will  close  her  eyes  and  go 
to  the  Great  Spirit,  and  when  my  brother  walks 
into  the  little  home  she  will  be  gone  and ' ' 

"Thar!  thar!  Don't  say  nothin'  more!" 
interrupted  the  trapper  with  a  wave  of  his 
hand.  "I  can't  stand  it.  If  I  go  back  home 
and  find  her  dead,  as  I  'spose  I  shall  some  day, 
I'll  die  myself;  if  I  don't,  I'll  blow  my  worth- 
less brains  out,  for  I  won't  want  to  live." 

"My  brother  longs  to  see  his  mother  again. 
If  he  should  kill  himself  or  do  wrong  he  will 
never  see  her  more.  Let  him  live  right  and 
they  shall  dwell  together  forever.  Let  him  go 
back  to  St.  Louis  and  drink  no  more.  Let  him 
give  the  money  to  the  mother  who  loves  her 
son  and  has  suffered  much  for  him.  Then  my 
brother  will  make  her  face  shine  with  hap- 
piness, and  she  will  live  much  longer." 

Jack  Halloway  turned  his  head  and  stared 
at  Deerfoot  for  a  full  minute  without  stirring 
or  speaking.  The  Shawanoe  kept  his  gaze 
upon  the  fire,  but  he  knew  the  scrutiny  he  was 


JJ4  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

under,  and  he  "  waited. "  When  the  trapper 
spoke  it  was  in  a  low  voice,  as  if  addressing 
himself : 

"To  think  of  an  Injin  talkin'  that  way  to 
Jack  Halloway !  Why,  I  never  had  a  white  man 
do  it;  but  his  words  are  as  true  as  gospel. 
Fact  is,  they  are  gospel." 

He  relapsed  into  a  reverie  which  lasted  so 
long  that  Deerfoot  gently  interposed. 

"My  brother  tells  me  that  his  mother  prays. 
Does  my  brother  pray?" 

Jack  started  and  again  stared  at  the  dusky 
youth. 

"This  beats  all  creation.  Yas,  I  used  to 
pray,  but  it  was  a  long  time  ago,  when  I  was 
a  younker  and  bowed  my  head  at  my  mother's 
knee.  I  Ve  been  a  wild,  wicked  scamp  that  ain't 
worth  the  prayer  of  such  an  angel  as  she  is. 
Shawanoe,  do  you  pray!" 

"Once  when  Deerfoot  was  a  child  he  was  as 
wicked  as  Satan  himself;  but  he  was  made  a 
prisoner  by  the  palefaces.  There  was  a  good 
woman  among  them  who  told  him  about  the 
Great  Spirit  who  is  a  loving  Father  to  all  His 
children,  and  she  taught  him  to  pray  to  Him. 
Deerfoot  prays  to  his  Father  every  morning 


GOOD  SEED.    ...  JJ5 

and  night,  and  often  through  the  day,  and  his 
Father  always  listens  and  does  that  which  is 
best  for  him.  Let  my  brother  do  the  same. 
He  will  give  him  strength  to  drink  that  poison 
no  more,  and  when  he  dies  he  will  see  his  mother 
again." 

Again  Jack  Halloway  asked  himself  whether 
he  was  awake  or  dreaming.  He  had  heard  in 
a  vague  way  of  the  missionaries  and  their  labors 
among  the  Indians.  He  had  been  told  that 
there  were  some  converts  among  the  red  men, 
but  never  until  now  had  he  seen  one.  Like 
most  of  his  calling,  he  looked  upon  all  Indians 
as  bad,  and  therefore  the  implacable  enemies 
of  the  white  men.  He  had  had  more  than  one 
desperate  encounter  with  them,  and  when  he 
groped  his  way  into  the  mountains  it  was 
always  a  contest  of  wits  between  him  and  them, 
with  the  prospects  more  than  once  against  him. 
He  looked  upon  them  as  he  looked  upon  so 
many  rattlesnakes,  that  were  likely  to  be  found 
coiled  at  any  moment  in  his  path. 

And  yet  here  was  a  full-blooded  Indian  talk- 
ing to  him  better  than  he  had  ever  heard  any 
missionary  talk.  The  trapper  knew  from  the 
build,  the  alertness,  the  assurance  of  move- 


116  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

ment  of  the  youth,  and  a  certain  something 
impossible  to  describe  that  he  would  be  a  ter- 
rific antagonist  in  a  fight,  but  nothing  seemed 
further  from  the  Shawanoe's  thoughts.  He 
talked  with  the  persuasive  gentleness  of  a 
woman,  and  in  all  his  experience  never  had  the 
grizzled  trapper  felt  such  an  arrow  pierce  right 
into  the  core  of  his  heart. 

In  a  few  simple  words  Deerfoot  had  drawn 
a  vivid  picture  of  that  sweet,  patient,  forgiving, 
praying  parent,  waiting  in  her  far-away  home 
the  return  of  the  rough,  profane,  wicked  son, 
for  whom  she  was  ready  to  sacrifice  her  life  at 
any  time,  and,  indeed,  was  sacrificing  it  to  his 
thoughtlessness  and  indifference.  Most  as- 
tounding of  all,  the  Shawanoe  had  held  out  a 
hope  to  him  that  he  had  never  known  of  or  in 
fact  dreamed  had  an  existence. 

With  that  fine-grained  tact  which  was  one 
of  Deerfoot 's  most  marked  traits,  he  refrained 
from  breaking  in  upon  the  meditation  of  the 
other.  He  knew  the  leaven  was  working  and 
did  not  wish  to  interfere  with  it. 

Jack  Halloway,  the  trapper,  now  did  a  sin- 
gular and  unexpected  thing.  Without  a  word, 
he  rose  to  his  feet  and  faced  the  stream  flowing 


GOOD  SEED.  \\7 

past  the  camp.  The  youth,  who  was  watching 
his  movements,  saw  him  bring  the  flask  from 
his  breast  pocket  and  swing  his  arm  backward. 
Then  he  brought  it  quickly  forward,  striking 
and  checking  his  hand  smartly  against  his  hip 
and  making  the  throw  known  as  "  jerking. " 
The  flask  shot  from  his  grasp  and  sped  out 
in  the  gloom,  falling  with  a  splash  that  was 
plainly  heard  in  the  stillness. 

"Thar,  Shawanoe!"  he  exclaimed,  facing 
about,  "you've  made  me  do  what  I  never 
believed  any  man  could_  make  Jack  Halloway 
do.  Now  I've  got  to  travel  all  the  way  to  St. 
Louis  without  a  swaller  of  the  infarnal  stuff. 
It'll  take  two  or  three  weeks,  and  I  know  it'll 
be  powerful  tough,  but  I'm  going  to  do  it!" 

Deerfoot  had  risen  to  his  feet  and,  in  a  voice 
tremulous  with  emotion,  he  said : 

"My  brother  has  done  well.  He  will  never 
be  sorry.  The  Great  Spirit  will  make  him 
strong,  but  my  brother  must  pray  to  Himior 
himself." 

"Pray!"  repeated  the  trapper;  "that's 
goin'  to  be  'bout  all  I'll  do  atween  here  and  St. 
Louis,  and  I  won't  let  up  till  the  good  Lord  does 
what  you  say,  and  what  I  know  He'll  be  power- 


m  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

ful  glad  to  do  for  such  a  miserable  scamp  as 


me.'; 


The  next  act  of  the  trapper  was  as  remark- 
able as  the  former  one.  He  strode  out  to 
where  he  had  sent  the  three  horses,  roused  each 
and  began  reloading  them  and  saddling  and 
bridling  his  own.  Suspecting  his  purpose, 
Deerf oot  asked : 

"Will  not  my  brother  wait  till  morning !" 

"Not  a  minute  longer  than  I  have  to.  I'm 
afeard  that  mother  of  mine  will  die  afore  I  can 
git  to  her  and  beg  her  to  forgive  and  help  me 
to  be  a  half-decent  man." 

Instead  of  protesting,  Deerfoot  aided  in 
reloading  the  animals.  Neither  spoke  while 
this  was  going  on.  When  it  was  finished  and 
the  massive  trapper  had  swung  again  into  his 
saddle,  he  reached  his  broad  palm  down  to  his 
new  friend. 

"Good-bye,  Shawanoe.  May  I  ax  you  when 
you're  at  your  prayers  to  put  in  a  word  for  me? 
I've  an  idee  that  the  Lord  will  be  more  pleased 
to  hear  from  you  than  me." 

"Deerfoot  will  never  forget  to  do  as  his 
brother  asks,  and  he  is  sure  that  all  will  now 
be  well  with  his  brother." 


GOOD  SEED.  U9 

'  '  I'll  make  a  big  wrastle  for  it.    Good-bye !" 

He  struck  his  heels  against  the  side  of  his 
horse,  who,  though  roused  from  rest,  moved 
off,  followed  -by  the  pack  animals  as  if  they 
were  a  couple  of  docile  dogs.  They  soon  dis- 
appeared in  the  moonlight,  but  Deerfoot  stood 
for  a  long  time  gazing  thoughtfully  toward  the 
point  where  he  had  last  seen  the  man  who  had 
come  so  strangely  into  his  life  and  then  passed 
out  again. 

"Something  tells  Deerfoot  that  his  brother 
shall  do  well  and  they  shall  meet  again." 

The  Shawanoe,  as  we  shall  learn  in  due  time, 
was  right  in  this  belief. 

A  soft  rustling  caused  him  to  look  round. 
The  Blackfoot  was  standing  at  his  side. 

"My  brother  is  late  in  awaking  Mul-tal-la," 
he  quietly  said. 

"My  brother  did  not  need  to  be  awakened, 
for  he  heard  the  words  of  the  white  man  who 
has  just  gone." 

"Yes;  Mul-tal-la  heard  all  that  was  said  by 
him  and  Deerfoot.  The  Great  Spirit  is  pleased 
with  Deerfoot." 

"Deerfoot  prays  that  He  will  ever  be  pleased 
with  him.  He  is  striving  to  live  so  the  Great 
Spirit  will  not  frown  upon  him." 


J20  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

Forgetting  in  his  ardor  the  somewhat  formal 
manner  of  speaking,  the  Blackfoot  earnestly 
said: 

"If  you  are  not  good,  then  there  never  was 
a  good  man.  Let  my  brother  rest,  for  the  Great 
Spirit  will  watch  over  him  like  a  father." 

The  Shawanoe  walked  to  the  place  vacated 
by  the  other  and  lay  down,  while  the  Blackfoot 
took  upon  himself  the  duty  of  sentinel  for  the 
remainder  of  the  night. 

As  Deerfoot  stretched  out  he  recalled  the 
singular  disturbance  heard  earlier  in  the  even- 
ing, and  he  shifted  the  enveloping  blanket  so 
as  to  allow  him  to  rest  one  ear  against  the  cool, 
damp  earth. 

As  he  did  so  he  caught  the  same  faint,  curious 
pulsing  again.  It  was  more  distinct  and 
instantly  drove  all  thought  of  sleep  from  his 
brain.  It  was  as  if  thousands  of  feet  were 
striking  the  ground,  mingling,  running  into  one 
another,  and  yet  preserving  a  certain  regularity 
that  was  puzzling  to  the  last  degree. 

Because  the  noises  were  heard  more  plainly 
he  believed  that  whatever  caused  them  was 
drawing  near  the  camp.  Still  the  approach 
was  slow,  which  it  would  seem  could  not  have 


GOOD  SEED.  „.  m 

been  the  fact  if  the  unknown  animals  were 
approaching.  They  must  be  following  a  course 
that,  while  bringing  them  somewhat  closer, 
would  carry  them  by  on  one  side  or  the  other. 

The  strange  peculiarity  already  noted  again 
presented  itself.  By  and  by  the  sounds  grew 
fainter,  as  if  the  creatures,  whatever  their 
nature,  were  receding.  This  suggested  the  odd 
theory  that  they  were  traveling  in  a  great  circle 
and  might  again  approach.  Deerfoot  rose  and 
walked  to  where  Mul-tal-la  was  standing  near 
the  resting  horses,  which  still  showed  no  signs 
of  uneasiness.  The  Shawanoe  told  of  the  puz- 
zle that  troubled  him. 

The  Blackfoot  had  not  observed  anything  of 
that  nature.  When  lying  on  his  blanket  it 
interposed  between  him  and  the  earth,  and  thus 
shut  out  the  almost  inaudible  throbbings  that 
mystified  his  companion.  Mul-tal-la  now  knelt 
and  pressed  his  ear  against  the  ground,  Deer- 
foot  doing  the  same. 

Both  held  their  position  for  some  time  and 
then  rose. 

"They  are  strange  sounds,"  remarked  the 
Blackfoot,  "but  very  soft." 

"They  were  a  little  louder  when  Deerfoot 


J22  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

first  heard  them.    They  must  be  made  by  some 
animals  that  cannot  be  buffaloes." 

"No,  the  noise  would  be  different.  Mul- 
tal-la  knows  what  they  are,  for  he  heard  them 
when  he  came  this  way  many  moons  ago  and  his 
eyes  rested  on  the  animals." 

"What  are  they?"  asked  the  surprised  Deer- 
foot. 

"Wild  horses,"  was  the  answer. 

The  Shawanoe  was  astonished,  for  he  had 
never  thought  of  anything  of  that  nature.  He 
had  heard  rumors,  as  far  away  as  his  own  home, 
of  droves  of  wild  horses  that  roamed  over  the 
western  plains,  numbering  many  thousands. 
Eeports  of  the  same  nature  reached  him  when 
in  St.  Louis.  Some  one  had  told  him  that  when 
the  Spaniards  came  to  the  Southwest,  more 
than  two  centuries  before,  a  few  of  their  horses 
had  wandered  off,  and  it  was  from  them  that 
the  numberless  droves  had  descended. 

You  need  not  be  reminded  that  this  is  a 
fact.  A  century  ago  enormous  droves  of  wild 
horses  roamed  over  the  Llano  Estacado  and  in 
northern  Texas,  to  which  region  and  neighbor- 
hood they  mainly  confined  themselves,  though 
many  of  them  were  met  on  the  plains  a  consid- 


GOOD  SEED.  123 

erable  distance  to  the  northward.  It  would  not 
be  strange  if  our  friends  came  in  contact  with 
them,  though  not  one  had  yet  been  seen. 

Mul-tal-la  said  that  he  and  his  companion 
encountered  a  herd  that  was  as  numerous  as  the 
buffaloes  that  had  lately  threatened  them,  and 
at  one  time  the  two  were  in  danger  of  being  run 
down  by  the  equine  rovers.  By  hard  work, 
however,  they  got  out  of  their  way. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

A  BATTLE  ROYAL. 

THE  camp  was  astir  early.  George  and 
Victor  Shelton  were  surprised  when 
told  by  Deerfoot  of  the  visit  received 
the  night  previous.  A  trapper  had  called  upon 
him  with  three  horses,  conversed  for  an  hour  or 
more,  and  then  departed,  and  was  now  miles 
away  on  the  road  to  St.  Louis.  The  Shawanoe 
related  nothing  of  what  passed  between  him 
and  Jack  Halloway  except  to  say  that  he  was 
belated  in  leaving  the  beaver  runs  in  the  moun- 
tains and  meant  to  lose  no  time  in  reaching  his 
distant  home. 

The  towering  peak,  crested  with  snow, 
showed  to  the  westward,  but  apparently  it  was 
little  nearer  than  when  first  descried  in  relief 
against  the  blue  sky.  Mul-tal-la  said  that 
instead  of  keeping  on  to  the  peak  and  the  range, 
which  was  quite  extensive,  they  would  now 
swerve  to  the  northward  and  make  more 
directly  for  the  Blackfoot  country.  The  head- 

124 


A  BATTLE  ROYAL.  125 

waters  of  the  North  Fork  of  the  Platte  were 
among  these  elevations,  and  the  journey  would 
become  easier  through  flanking  them,  as  he  and 
his  companion  had  done  when  coming  east- 
ward. The  range,  however,  trended  to  the 
northeast,  and  they  would  have  to  cross  it  in 
order  to  reach  the  sources  of  the  numerous 
branches  of  the  Yellowstone  and  Missouri. 
Then  the  course  would  bend  to  the  northwest, 
parallel  to  the  great  Rocky  Mountain  range,  but 
always  east  of  it.  Eemember  that  the  names 
of  rivers  and  mountains  which  I  use  were 
wholly  unknown  to  our  friends,  who  had  to  rely 
for  their  general  knowledge  upon  the  informa- 
tion given  by  the  observant  Blackfoot. 

The  morning  meal  finished,  and  animals 
having  been  saddled  and  the  packs  replaced, 
Deerfoot,  declining  all  offers  to  ride,  asked 
George  Shelton  to  loan  him  his  spyglass  for  a 
few  minutes.  He  pointed  the  instrument  to 
the  south,  and  stood  for  some  time  closely 
studying  the  horizon,  for  the  sky  was  bright, 
and  in  the  clear  air  his  vision,  thus  aided, 
reached  for  a  long  distance. 

It  was  apparent  to  his  friends  that  he  had 
discovered  something  of  interest.  They  peered 


J26  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

in  the  same  direction,  but  without  seeing  any- 
thing except  the  monotonous  undulations  of  the 
grassy  plain.  Not  a  tree,  not  a  mountain,  nor 
any  prominent  object  was  in  sight. 

Still  it  was  evident  that  the  Shawanoe  was 
interested.  Finally  he  handed  the  glass  to 
George,  who  was  in  the  saddle  on  the  back  of 
Jack. 

"Let  my  brother  tell  me  what  he  sees,"  he 
quietly  remarked. 

The  boy  leveled  the  instrument  and  a  moment 
later  exclaimed: 

"Horses!  There  are  ten  hundred  thousand 
of  them!" 

"Deerfoot  fears  his  brother  has  not  counted 
right,"  remarked  the  Shawanoe. 

"I  may  be  two  or  three  out  of  the  way," 
replied  the  lad,  "but  I  never  before  saw  so 
many." 

He  passed  the  glass  to  the  impatient  Victor, 
who  took  his  turn  at  scanning  the  remarkable 
scene.  Mul-tal-la  sat  as  immobile  as  a  statue 
on  his  horse,  calmly  waiting  for  the  others  to 
complete  their  scrutiny.  His  eyes  were 
turned  to  the  south,  and  the  slight  wrinkling  of 
his  cheeks  showed  that  he  was  looking  hard, 


A  BATTLE  ROYAL.  J27 

though  there  was  no  other  evidence  of  concern. 
Victor  added  his  expressions  of  astonishment 
to  those  of  his  brother,  and  handed  the  instru- 
ment to  the  Blackfoot,  who,  of  course,  had 
learned  its  use  long  before.  Thus  the  round  of 
observation  was  finished. 

That  George  had  been  extravagant  in  his  esti- 
mate became  clear  when  it  was  agreed  that  the 
drove  of  wild  horses  numbered  perhaps  two 
or  three  hundred.  They  were  coming  at  an 
easy  canter  in  a  direct  line  for  the  camp,  so  that 
in  a  short  time  all  were  in  plain  sight  of  the 
unaided  eye.  No  doubf  they  had  wandered 
northward  from  the  plains  of  Upper  Texas — as 
it  is  now  called — tempted  by  the  fine  pasturage, 
and  possibly  by  that  longing  for  change  which 
sometimes  shows  itself  in  a  quadruped  to  a 
hardly  less  degree  than  in  a  biped. 

The  picturesque  scene  did  not  make  our 
friends  lose  sight  of  their  own  situation  as 
regarded  these  wild  animals.  If  they  chose 
they  could  overrun  the  camp  and  trample  all  to 
death  as  the  stampeded  bison  threatened  to 
do  but  a  short  time  before.  Would  they  do  sol 

Mul-tal-la,  whose  previous  experience  gave 
him  greater  knowledge,  did  not  think  he  and 


J28  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

his  companions  were  in  special  danger.  Wild 
horses  were  not  disposed  to  attack  travelers, 
though  there  was  a  possibility  of  their  doing 
so  if  provoked  or  if  strangers  got  in  their  path 
or  annoyed  them.  He  warned  his  friends  to 
watch  against  their  own  horses  dashing  out  and 
joining  the  drove,  though  even  if  they  did  so 
they  were  liable  to  harm  by  the  others,  who 
were  likely  to  resent  such  an  intrusion. 

The  domestic  horses  were  only  a  few  min- 
utes behind  their  owners  in  discovering  the 
strangers'  approach.  They  showed  consider- 
able excitement,  throwing  up  their  heads,  snuf- 
fing the  air  and  staring  affrightedly  to  the 
south.  Only  one,  however,  betrayed  a  dispo- 
sition to  make  closer  acquaintance  with  his  wild 
brethren.  It  was  Zigzag,  who  broke  into  a 
sudden  awkward  gallop,  heading  directly  for 
them. 

But  he  had  time  to  go  only  a  few  paces  when 
Deerf oot  leaped  in  front  of  him,  seized  the  rope 
halter  and  whirled  him  around  with  no  gentle 
force.  The  horse  persisted,  but  the  youth  spoke 
sharply,  slapped  the  side  of  his  head,  and 
Mul-tal-la,  who  was  the  only  one  of  the  company 
that  had  provided  himself  with  a  switch, 


A  BATTLE  ROYAL.  J2* 

brought  it  down  about  the  head  and  neck  of  the 
stubborn  creature  with  a  vicious  vigor  that 
quickly  subdued  him.  Zigzag  would  have  cut 
a  fine  figure  in  bouncing  about  among  the  wild 
animals  with  his  huge  pack  on  his  back.  Mean- 
while a  close  watch  was  kept  on  the  others, 
who  could  not  fail  to  be  impressed  by  the  object 
lesson  that  had  just  been  given  them. 

The  drove  maintained  their  easy  swinging 
gallop  until  within  two  or  three  hundred  yards* 
They  had  acted  as  if  unaware  of  the  little  group 
drawn  up  on  the  prairie  and  scrutinizing  them. 
Then  the  canter  dropped  "to  a  trot,  and  then  to  a 
walk,  the  varying  movements  when  these  changes 
took  place  adding  to  the  novelty  of  the  picture. 
Among  the  horses  were  piebalds,  roans,  grays, 
sorrels  and  several  of  a  milk-white  color.  The 
undulating  bodies,  with  their  different  tints, 
were  like  the  changing  figures  of  the  biograph. 

Deerfoot  explained  to  the  boys  that  nothing 
was  to  be  done  unless  the  wild  creatures  con- 
tinued to  advance  and  showed  a  purpose  to 
attack.  At  the  proper  moment  he  would  give 
the  word  and  they  would  fire  into  them,  relying 
upon  bringing  down  a  number  and  stampeding 
the  herd.  Each  of  the  party  sat  or  stood,  rifle 


J30  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

in  hand,  awaiting  the  order  from  their  leader, 
and  closely  watching  every  action  of  the  wild 
horses,  ready  to  let  fly  the  instant  it  became 
necessary. 

All  at  once,  as  if  in  obedience  to  a  word  of 
command,  the  herd  paused,  threw  up  their 
heads  and  stared  at  the  small  group.  Several 
whinnied  and  showed  excitement,  for  the  sight 
must  have  been  wholly  new,  and  if  they  were 
not  alarmed  they  were  mystified. 

Bug,  Jack  and  Prince  behaved  better  than 
was  expected.  They  were  in  a  tremor  and 
plainly  frightened,  but  remained  under  control. 
Zigzag  seemed  to  be  meditating  some  coup,  but 
Deerfoot  stood  within  a  pace  of  his  head,  and 
was  prepared  to  check  anything  of  that  nature. 
The  animal  had  enough  sense  not  to  invite  any 
more  punishment,  and  remained  still. 

But  previous  to  this,  all  had  noticed  the  most 
striking  feature  of  the  exhibition.  The  drove 
was  under  the  lead  of  a  stallion  that  was  the 
most  superb  steed  upon  which  any  of  the 
travelers  had  ever  looked.  He  was  of  large 
size,  of  a  glossy  coal-black  color,  and  had  a 
long  flowing  mane  and  a  tail  that  reached  almost 
to  the  ground.  With  head  erect  and  every  limb 


A  BATTLE  ROYAL.  m 

and  movement  the  picture  of  beauty,  grace  and 
strength,  he  was  impressively  perfect.  The 
sight  was  one  to  hold  a  spectator  spellbound 
with  admiration.  Even  Deerfoot  forgot  for  a 
moment  the  situation  of  himself  and  compan- 
ions in  his  wonder  at  the  picture  before  him. 

Perhaps  you  know  that  the  roving  bands  of 
wild  horses  are  generally  under  the  leadership 
of  a  stallion  who  has  attained  the  honor  by 
beating  off  all  rivals,  and  who  retains  his 
supreme  power  until,  as  his  years  increase  and 
his  prowess  declines,  some  younger  aspirant 
dethrones  him  and  takes  his  place  as  king.  As 
commander-in-chief  of  his  equine  army,  the 
stallion  must  be  of  unflinching  courage  and 
game  to  the  death.  No  band  of  wolves,  no  mat- 
ter how  numerous,  dare  attack  the  compact 
body  under  his  leadership,  nor  indeed  need  the 
horses  fear  any  marauder  of  the  plains,  for 
with  such  an  example  of  knightly  dauntless- 
ness  ever  before  them,  their  heels  and  teeth  are 
impregnable. 

Like  obedient  soldiers,  the  members  of  the 
herd  stood  motionless,  with  heads  raised,  snuf- 
fing the  air  and  gazing  at  the  strange  creatures, 
three  of  whom  were  astride  of  members  of  their 


J32  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

own  species,  and  one  afoot;  and,  like  an  officer 
who  will  not  permit  a  subaltern  or  private  to 
assume  a  risk  that  he  fears  to  take  himself,  the 
stallion  of  midnight  blackness  now  advanced, 
as  if  to  call  the  strangers  to  account. 

He  came  forward  at  a  measured  deliberate 
walk,  head  high  in  air,  tail  sweeping  near  the 
ground,  mane  falling  low,  with  his  silken  ears 
thrust  forward,  eyes  glowing,  and  indulging  in  a 
peculiar  flirting  of  his  nose,  as  if  he  sought 
thereby  to  sharpen  his  perceptions.  The  mouth 
was  partly  open,  and  it  was  clear  that  he  did 
not  feel  quite  at  ease  in  thus  approaching  the 
strange  group.  But  the  eyes  of  his  subjects 
were  upon  him,  and  he  would  die  before  falter- 
ing in  the  face  of  an  enemy.  So  he  came  on, 
with  a  step  that  was  the  more  impressive 
because  it  was  so  slow,  so  deliberate  and  yet  so 
unhesitating. 

While  Mul-tal-la,  George  and  Victor  Shel- 
ton  were  studying  him  with  absorbing  intent- 
ness,  Deerfoot,  the  Shawanoe,  became  an  actor 
in  the  extraordinary  drama. 

His  position  was  slightly  in  advance  of  his 
friends.  He  now  handed  his  rifle  to  Mul-tal-la 
and  coolly  walked  forward  toward  the  stallion. 


A  BATTLE  ROYAL.  J33 

His  arms  were  hanging  at  his  side,  and  his  step 
was  timed  to  that  of  the  horse,  so  that  it  was 
as  if  both  were  marching  to  the  tap  of  the  same 
drum.  His  action  centered  the  eyes  of  all  the 
animals  of  both  parties  as  well  as  those  of  his 
friends  upon  him. 

When  this  singular  performance  began  less 
than  fifty  paces  separated  the  Shawanoe  and 
the  equine  chief.  The  approach  continued 
until  half  the  interval  was  passed,  when  the 
stallion  paused.  Evidently  he  was  not  clear  as 
to  the  meaning  of  the  youth's  conduct.  The 
latter  slowed  his  pace,  but  did  not  stop.  The 
horse  raised  his  head  higher,  flirted  his  nose, 
flinging  a  speck  of  foam  over  his  black  breast. 
Probably,  had  the  two  been  alone,  he  would 
have  retreated,  for  there  was  something  uncanny 
in  the  advance  of  the  Shawanoe,  but  he  remem- 
bered that  the  eyes  of  his  own  soldiers  were 
upon  him,  and  he  could  not  show  the  white 
feather.  Possibly,  too,  he  understood  that  his 
enemy,  as  he  regarded  him,  was  without  any 
formidable  weapon  with  which  to  defend  him- 
self. The  next  action  of  the  brute  gave  reason- 
ableness to  this  theory,  for,  after  his  brief 
pause,  he  resumed  his  approach  at  a  brisker 
step  than  before. 


*34  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

Deerfoot  now  stood  still  and  awaited  his 
coming,  his  arms  still  at  his  side,  but  with  all 
his  muscles,  nerves  and  senses  strung  to  the 
highest  tension.  The  stallion  meant  to  fight 
him,  and  the  youth  was  waiting  for  the  battle 
to  open. 

Mul-tal-la  hardly  breathed,  so  intense  was 
his  interest,  but  he  held  his  bow  and  arrow 
ready  to  launch  the  missile  if  it  should  become 
necessary  to  save  his  friend.  The  brothers 
would  have  shot  the  stallion  without  further 
delay  had  they  dared  to  do  so,  but  they  could 
only  imitate  the  Blackfoot — hold  themselves 
ready  to  interfere  at  the  critical  moment.  They 
could  not  run  the  risk  of  offending  their  friend 
by  interposing  until  the  necessity  arose. 

The  black  steed  advanced  with  a  more  con- 
fident step,  and  Deerfoot  stood  as  if  he  were 
a  figure  carved  in  stone.  Then,  when  they  were 
within  a  step  or  two,  the  stallion  thrust  forward 
his  head,  and  his  white  teeth  were  seen  to 
gleam  as  he  made  a  vicious  snap  at  the  face  of 
the  youth.  The  latter  recoiled  just  enough  to 
escape  the  bite,  and  with  the  flat  of  his  hand 
smote  the  side  of  the  nose  with  a  vigor  that 
must  have  given  a  sharp  tingle  to  the  horse. 


A  Battle  Royal. 


A  BATTLE  ROYAL.  J35 

With  a  neigh  of  rage  he  instantly  reared  and 
savagely  pawed  the  air  with  his  front  hoofs. 
He  struck  at  the  Shawanoe,  who  leaped  slightly 
back  to  avoid  the  feet,  which,  had  they  landed, 
would  have  cloven  his  skull  in  twain.  Then 
he  ran  swiftly  for  a  few  paces  and  with  a  single 
bound  rose  like  a  bird  in  air  and  dropped 
astride  of  the  satin  back. 

"Now  throw  Deerfoot  if  you  can!"  he 
shouted.  Then  he  called  to  his  dazed  friends: 

"Leave  us  alone!" 

Who  can  imagine  the  rage  of  the  stallion 
when  he  found  that  a  man  was  on  his  back?  It 
took  him  a  few  seconds  to  understand  the  mor- 
tal insult,  and  then  his  fury  burst  forth  like  the 
fires  of  a  volcano.  In  his  wild  delirium  he 
emitted  a  shrieking  cry,  such  as  his  species 
sometimes  utter  when  in  the  extremity  of  ter- 
ror, and  began  rearing  and  plunging  in  the 
very  desperation  of  frenzy.  "Bucking,"  as 
displayed  by  the  bronchos  of  the  West  in  these 
times,  was  an  unknown  science  to  him,  but  he 
seemed  one  moment  to  be  standing  on  his  fore 
feet  with  his  flying  heels  kicking  vertically 
upward,  and  then,  reversing  in  a  flash,  became 
upright  like  a  man.  Next  he  spun  around  as 


J36  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

if  he  were  a  top,  first  to  the  right  and  then  to 
the  left,  up-ended  again,  alternating  with  an 
abruptness  that  would  have  made  an  ordinary 
spectator  dizzy. 

Deerfoot  held  his  seat  as  if  he  were  a  part 
of  the  brute  himself.  The  luxuriant  mane  gave 
him  a  firm  support.  Sometimes  he  lay  flat  on 
the  back  of  the  steed,  when  he  appeared  to  be 
trying  to  stand  on  his  head,  and  the  next 
moment  was  extended  on  his  face  and  gripping 
the  forelock.  Then  he  was  over  the  shoulders, 
and,  in  the  same  moment,  astride  of  his 
haunches,  but  never  once  did  he  yield  his  seat. 

While  this  battle  royal  was  raging  the  other 
wild  horses  did  a  cowardly  thing.  Frightened  by 
the  struggle,  whose  nature  they  could  not  under- 
stand, they  broke  into  a  panic  and  dashed 
headlong  to  the  southward.  Had  they  pos- 
sessed a  tithe  of  the  courage  of  their  leader  and 
gone  forward  to  his  aid,  Deerfoot  would  have 
been  doomed,  but  they  basely  deserted  him  in 
his  extremity.  What  matter  if  they  lost  their 
despot!  There  were  plenty  of  rivals  to  take 
his  place.  "The  king  is  dead — long  live  the 
king!" 

Again  the  stallion's  head  went  up  in  air. 


A  BATTLE  ROYAL.  137 

The  right  hand  of  Deerfoot  gripped  the  fore- 
lock, and  he  seemed  to  hang  suspended,  so 
nearly  perpendicular  was  the  position  of  the 
two.  In  the  delicate  poise  the  slightest  impulse 
was  enough  to  throw  the  center  of  gravity 
outside  the  base.  The  Shawanoe  gave  that 
impulse  by  swinging  his  feet  and  body  back- 
ward while  supported  by  the  forelock. 

Over  went  the  stallion  squarely  on  his  back 
with  a  thump  that  shook  the  ground.  The 
shock  was  a  severe  one  and  by  no  means  pleas- 
ant, nor  was  it  what  the  brute  had  figured  upon. 
He  pawed  the  air,  kicked  and  quickly  struggled 
to  his  feet.  The  moment  he  came  up  Deerfoot, 
who  had  easily  eluded  the  danger,  sprang  upon 
his  back  again. 

Although  he  could  not  have  forgotten  his 
overthrow,  the  stallion  reared  once  more, 
taking  care  not  to  rise  as  high  as  before. 
Standing  thus  nearly  erect,  his  fore  hoofs  beat- 
ing the  air,  the  rider  holding  himself  in  place 
by  twisting  the  fingers  of  his  right  hand  in  the 
forelock,  Deerfoot  leaned  forward  alongside  the 
neck  of  the  brute,  and,  reaching  down  with  his 
left  hand,  seized  the  ankle  of  the  stallion  just 
below  the  fetlock,  where  he  could  almost  span 
the  limb. 


138  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

The  grip  was  like  that  of  Damascus  steel, 
and  when  the  Shawanoe  drew  upward  and  held 
the  hoof  against  the  body  of  the  horse,  almost 
touching  the  upper  part  of  the  leg,  because  of 
the  abruptness  of  the  bend  at  the  knee,  it  was  as 
if  the  foot  was  imprisoned  in  a  vise.  The  stal- 
lion, in  his  blind  struggles,  went  forward  on 
one  shoulder  and  rolled  over.  Deerfoot  was 
off  again,  and,  letting  the  scared  brute  clamber 
to  his  feet,  vaulted  upon  his  back  as  before. 

By  this  time  the  stallion  was  panic-smitten. 
Sweat  was  beginning  to  show,  and  his  satin 
coat  gleamed  with  new  luster.  Finding  him- 
self once  more  on  his  feet,  he  uttered  another 
wild  whinny  and  burst  away  over  the  prairie 
like  a  thunderbolt.  It  is  not  likely  that  he 
recalled  the  drove  of  which  he  was  leader.  If 
he  did,  he  must  have  been  angered  by  their 
base  desertion  of  him,  for  he  headed  straight 
westward,  and,  when  last  seen  by  our  friends, 
was  running  at  his  highest  bent  toward  the 
snow-clad  mountain,  with  the  Shawanoe  firmly 
seated  on  his  back.  George  Shelton  kept  the 
glass  to  his  eye  till  the  two  became  a  flickering 
speck  in  the  distance  and  then  vanished. 

Deerfoot   was   well   satisfied   with  the   way 


A  BATTLE  ROYAL.  J39 

things  had  gone  and  were  still  going.  He  had 
"cut  out*7  the  stallion  from  his  herd,  had  mas- 
tered him  in  the  furious  fight,  and,  to  complete 
the  conquest,  it  was  necessary  still  further  to 
subdue  him;  that  could  be  done  only  by  allow- 
ing or  compelling  the  brute  to  exhaust  himself. 
The  fight  recalled  his  conquest  years  before  of 
Thunderbolt,  also  a  black  stallion,  on  the  other 
side  of  the  Mississippi. 

The  heart  of  the  Shawanoe  glowed  with 
admiration  and  pride  in  the  magnificent 
creature  whom  he  had  resolved  to  capture  and 
subdue.  Never  had  he  bestrode  so  matchless  a 
steed,  nor  one  with  a  more  beautiful  stride,  as 
he  flew  westward  like  the  wind.  Could  he  be 
made  a  prize  he  would  be  worth  a  prince's  ran- 
som. 

Deerfoot  therefore  complacently  waited  for 
the  stallion  to  tire  himself  out.  It  looked  as  if 
he  would  never  do  so,  but  there  is  a  limit  to  the 
capacity  of  every  animal.  Mile  after  mile  was 
swept  under  those  rhythmic  hoofs  with  no 
apparent  slackening,  but  by  and  by  the  watch- 
ful youth  noted  a  lagging  of  the  gait.  The  pace 
was  beginning  to  tell.  Waiting  until  the  slow- 
ing became  more  marked,  Deerfoot  struck  his 


140  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

heels  against  the  ribs,  slapped  the  sweaty  neck 
and  emitted  a  series  of  striking  war-whoops. 

The  stallion  was  off  again  as  if  fired  from 
the  throat  of  a  columbiad,  and  maintained  the 
pace  for  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes,  when  he 
began  falling  away.  The  rider  kicked,  slapped 
and  shouted,  and  the  horse  responded  with 
another  burst,  which  made  the  air  whistle  in  a 
gale  past  the  ears  of  the  rider.  The  brute  was 
reeking  with  sweat,  but  he  struggled  gallantly. 
He  had  flung  many  miles  behind  him  and  was 
good  for  many  more. 

The  alternating  slackening  and  bursts  of 
speed  were  kept  up  till  finally  the  sorely  pressed 
animal  was  unable  to  respond.  After  several 
brave  but  useless  efforts  he  ceased  the  attempt. 
He  had  done  his  best  and  could  do  no  more. 


CHAPTER  X. 

WHIRLWIND. 

DEERFOOT  waited  till  sure  of  the  ex- 
haustion of  the  stallion.  Then  while 
he  was  still  galloping  in  his  tired  way, 
lie  slipped  from  his  back  and,  dropping  to  the 
ground,  began  running  beside  him. 

The  instant  the  horse  felt  himself  free  of  his 
master  he  dashed  off  at  the  highest  bent  of  his 
speed,  as  if  determined  to  be  rid  of  the  dreaded 
one  at  whatever  cost.  You  know  what  a  won- 
derful runner  the  young  Shawanoe  was,  and  he 
now  put  forth  every  ounce  of  energy  at  his  com- 
mand. The  sight  was  thrilling.  The  incom- 
parable youth  was  making  a  race  with  the  black 
stallion,  and  the  exhibition  was  marvelous. 
Ah,  if  you  could  have  been  there  with  a  camera 
to  take  a  snapshot  of  the  struggle ! 

Now,  no  man  ever  lived  who  could  outrun  a 
blooded  or  trained  horse.  It  would  be  absurd 
for  me  to  pretend  that  the  Shawanoe  youth, 
with  all  his  marvelous  fleetness,  could  outspeed 

141 


J42  DEERPOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

a  wild  animal  like  the  black  stallion.  It  would 
have  been  idiotic  for  him  to  attempt  it,  unless 
his  rival  was  so  handicapped  that  a  marked 
advantage  rested  with  the  biped.  I  have  shown 
that  Deerfoot  possessed  that  advantage  in  the 
fatigue  of  the  steed.  Moreover,  as  I  have  made 
clear  in  another  story  concerning  the  young 
Shawanoe,  he  was  able  to  keep  up  the  exertion 
longer  than  a  horse,  and  had  proved  it  by  run- 
ning one  down  when  each  started  fresh. 

He  had  no  fear,  therefore,  when  he  dropped 
off  the  animal 's  back,  nor  did  he  feel  any  mis- 
giving because,  in  the  first  minute  or  two,  the 
stallion  slightly  drew  away  from  him.  The 
youth  knew  he  could  run  him  down,  and  he 
meant  to  do  it. 

The  horse  gained  until  he  was  fifty  feet  in 
advance.  The  consciousness  of  his  advantage 
nerved  him  to  the  utmost.  With  head  aloft  and 
the  sweat  showing  in  foam  where  the  limbs 
rubbed  the  body,  he  kept  an  eye  on  the  fearful 
thing  he  seemed  to  have  shaken  off.  There  he 
was,  a  short  distance  to  the  rear,  and  a  little  to 
one  side.  The  form  slowly  receded,  but  while 
the  horse  was  doing  his  best  it  began  to  close  the 
gap  between  them.  The  brute  saw  it  drawing 


VHIRLVIND.  143 

steadily  nearer,  with  the  resistless  certainty 
of  fate.  The  Shawanoe's  feet  doubled  under 
him  so  rapidly  that  the  eye  would  have  found 
it  hard  to  see  the  twinkling  moccasins.  He  was 
doing  his  very  best,  and  you  have  been  able  to 
form  some  idea  of  what  that  was.  Not  the 
least  remarkable  feature  of  all  was  that  Deer- 
foot  did  not  seem  to  be  affected  in  the  least 
by  his  terrific  exertions.  He  breathed  no  faster 
than  when  walking,  and  was  capable  of  keeping 
up  the  tremendous  run  for  a  time  that,  were 
it  named,  would  sound  incredible. 

Near  and  nearer  drew  the  dreaded  figure,  and 
the  stallion,  if  capable  of  such  an  emotion, 
must  have  felt  the  chill  of  despair  creeping 
through  his  frame.  But  it  was  useless  to  fight 
against  fate,  and  he  put  forth  no  further  effort, 
even  when  the  pursuer  drew  up  alongside,  and, 
repeating  his  remarkable  bound,  once  more 
dropped  astride  the  perspiring  body. 

Deerfoot  now  changed  his  treatment  of  the 
exhausted  stallion.  Instead  of  speaking 
sharply  and  beating  his  heels  against  his  sides, 
he  patted  his  neck,  rubbed  a  palm  gently  down 
its  side  and  uttered  soothing  expressions.  It 
was  hardly  to  be  expected  that  the  brute  would 


J44  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

understand  this,  for  it  was  all  new  and  strange 
to  him,  hut  the  fiercest  wild  animal  instinctively 
knows  the  difference  between  brutality  and 
kindness.  Something  within  the  horse  re- 
sponded to  these  advances,  and  by  and  by  he 
dropped  to  a  walk  and  made  no  effort  to  unseat 
or  harm  his  rider. 

Deerfoot's  wish  was  to  return  to  his  friends, 
for  they  must  have  been  left  many  miles  to  the 
rear,  and,  though  they  were  quite  likely  to  fol- 
low him,  they  must  still  be  separated  from  him 
by  a  long  distance.  He  therefore  tried  to  turn 
the  stallion  the  other  way.  This  proved  harder 
than  he  anticipated.  He  first  drew  the  nose 
around,  but  the  animal  kept  going  straight  on 
as  before,  even  with  his  head  awry.  Then  the 
youth  slipped  to  the  ground,  placed  himself  in 
front  of  his  charge,  and  flung  up  his  arms.  The 
stallion  stopped,  made  a  motion  as  if  to  bite 
him,  and  then,  frightened  by  his  own  temerity, 
paused.  Still  he  refused  to  change  his  course. 

The  Shawanoe  was  working  patiently  when 
the  horse  turned  to  one  side,  pricked  up  his 
ears  and  started  off  at  a  trot.  The  youth  sus- 
pected the  meaning  of  this  action:  the  brute 
had  scented  water,  of  which  he  must  have  felt 


WHIRLWIND.  J45 

the  need,  and  was  hurrying  to  it.  Instead  of 
remounting  Deerfoot  ran  ahead  of  the  animal, 
and  glancing  over  his  shoulder  to  make  sure  he 
was  followed,  broke  into  a  lope  which  he  accom- 
modated to  the  speed  of  his  pursuer. 

The  youth  was  right  in  his  supposition.  Not 
far  in  advance,  in  a  slight  depression  of  the 
prairie,  he  caught  the  gleam  of  water,  marking 
where  a  small  tributary  of  the  North  Fork 
flowed  from  the  mountainous  regions  on  the 
west.  Increasing  his  speed,  the  Shawanoe 
reached  the  water  first,  and,  stooping  down, 
drank  his  fill  of  the  clear  current,  which  still 
retained  much  of  the  coolness  of  the  elevated 
regions  whence  it  came. 

The  stallion  broke  into  a  faster  gait  as  he 
drew  near,  and  pushed  his  nose  into  the  stream 
beside  the  youth  and  drank  his  fill.  It  was  odd, 
when  he  had  finished,  to  see  him  raise  his  head, 
with  the  current  dripping  from  his  frothy 
mouth,  and  look  earnestly  at  the  youth.  Had 
he  been  gifted  with  the  power  of  speech  he 
probably  would  have  said : 

"I  have  come  across  many  queer  creatures 
while  roving  the  plains,  but  you  are  the  queer- 
est of  them  all.  You  don't  look  as  if  you  would 

10 


146  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

stand  any  show  in  a  fight  with  me.  I've  beaten 
many  rivals  and  am  ready  to  beat  more,  but 
you're  too  much  for  me.  I  take  off  my  hat  to 
you,  and  now  what  do  you  intend  to  do  with 
me?  If  I  get  the  chance  to  lay  you  out,  I'll 
do  it,  but  I'm  afraid  I  won't  get  the  chance." 

The  Shawanoe  was  on  the  alert,  suspecting 
the  stallion  would  try  some  trick  after  refresh- 
ing himself  with  water.  In  turning  away  from 
the  stream,  the  head  of  the  steed  happened  to 
point  eastward,  the  direction  in  which  Deer- 
foot  wished  to  go.  He  again  vaulted  upon  his 
back  and  the  brute  continued  on  that  course. 

What  the  rider  feared  was  that  the  stallion 
would  set  out  to  find  the  drove  that  had  deserted 
him.  This  could  not  be  permitted,  for  it  would 
ruin  the  plan  the  Shawanoe  had  in  mind.  He 
expected  to  have  another  battle  with  his  prize, 
and  held  himself  alert  for  it,  but  he  was  pleased 
and  surprised  by  the  docility  of  his  captive. 
This  may  have  been  partly  due  to  his 
exhaustion,  or  who  shall  say  that  the  brute  did 
not  wish  for  time  in  which  to  formulate  some 
scheme  for  overthrowing  the  being  that  had 
outwitted  him! 

Deerfoot  kept  up  his   caresses   and  gentle 


VHIRLVIND.  J47 

treatment  of  the  prisoner.  He  strove  to  famil- 
iarize him  with  his  voice  and  to  win  his  confi- 
dence. He  had  proved  he  was  master  of  the 
terrible  brute,  and  the  task  was  now  to  con- 
vince the  brute  that  he  was  his  friend.  This 
was  sure  to  be  hard,  and  he  could  not  hope  to 
succeed  for  awhile  to  come. 

They  had  traveled  a  few  miles  when  once 
more  Deerfoot  slipped  to  the  ground.  As  he 
landed  he  walked  close  to  the  shoulder  of  the 
horse  and  patted  and  addressed  him  as  he 
would  a  child  whom  he  loved.  The  stallion  at 
first  resented  the  familiarity.  He  shook  his 
head  as  if  displeased,  edged  away  and  finally 
snapped  at  the  youth.  The  Shawanoe  knew  it 
would  not  do  to  let  the  animal  forget  who  was 
master.  So,  when  the  black  muzzle  and  gleam- 
ing teeth  showed,  he  slapped  his  nose  and  spoke 
brusquely  to  him.  This  was  followed  by  more 
caresses  and  soothing  expressions.  By  and  by 
the  horse  ceased  showing  resentment.  Then 
Deerfoot  remounted  as  before. 

Thus  the  strange  acquaintanceship  pro- 
gressed. It  was  impossible  for  the  wild  stal- 
lion to  become  tamed  in  a  few  hours,  though 
we  have  professors  in  these  times  who  conquer 


J48  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

the  most  vicious  beasts  in  less  than  a  single 
hour,  but  sometimes  the  horses  do  not  stay 
conquered.  It  can  be  said  that  the  youth  and 
horse  became  quite  intimate  as  they  journeyed 
together,  and  the  youth  had  good  reason  to 
believe  that  ere  long  they  would  become  friends. 

As  he  had  supposed,  Mul-tal-la  and  the  boys 
did  not  remain  idle  after  the  Shawanoe's  hur- 
ricane departure.  Hardly  had  he  vanished  in 
the  horizon  when  the  three  set  out  to  follow 
him,  pressing  their  animals  hard.  While  it 
cannot  be  said  that  they  were  free  from  anxiety 
for  their  friend,  they  were  not  much  alarmed. 
There  could  be  no  after-contest  that  would  be 
fiercer  than  that  which  had  taken  place  under 
their  very  eyes,  and  they  had  come  to  ask  one 
another  whether  there  was  any  situation  in 
which  the  young  Shawanoe  would  not  be  well 
able  to  take  care  of  himself. 

At  every  few  paces  George  Shelton  brought 
his  glass  into  use  and  scanned  the  prairie  in 
advance,  not  forgetting  to  bestow  a  glance  now 
and  then  in  other  directions,  for  there  was  no 
saying  what  whim  would  control  the  black 
stallion. 

"I  see  them!"  suddenly  called  George. 
"They  are  coming  this  way!" 


WHIRLWIND.  H9 

"Is  Deerfoot  on  the  horse?" 

"Of  course;  you  don't  suppose  he  would 
walk,  do  you?" 

"I  didn't  know  but  that  the  stallion  was  so 
tired  Deerfoot  would  have  to  carry  him,"  was 
the  innocent  answer.  "Let  me  have  a  squint." 

Victor  and  Mul-tal-la  each  descried  the  ani- 
mal, but  since  he  was  in  a  direct  line  and  held 
his  head  high  it  was  some  minutes  before  they 
could  make  sure  that  the  Shawanoe  was  on  his 
back.  It  was  the  Blackfoot  who  announced 
that  he  was  riding  the  captured  horse  at  a  walk. 

But  Deerfoot  had  descried  his  friends  before 
this,  and  he  now  showed  his  mastery  over  the 
animal  by  forcing  him  to  a  moderate  gallop, 
which  was  kept  up  till  the  two  parties  had  come 
within  a  few  rods  of  each  other.  Then  the  stal- 
lion stopped  and  showed  renewed  excitement. 
It  was  due  to  the  nearness  of  the  other  horses, 
whom  he  did  not  like,  and  he  repelled  a  closer 
acquaintance. 

Three  of  the  animals  were  indifferent  and 
displayed  no  curiosity,  but  Zigzag  seemed  to 
think  he  was  excepted  from  the  disfavor  of  the 
captive.  He  pointed  his  nose  toward  him, 
whinnied,  and  then  advanced  rapidly.  Mul- 


J50  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

tal-la  was  about  to  interfere  when  Deerfoot 
called  to  him  not  to  do  so. 

The  Shawanoe  did  all  he  could  to  quiet  his 
horse,  but  with  the  light  of  mischief  in  his  eyes 
watched  the  meeting  between  the  two  brutes. 
Zigzag  came  right  on,  with  nose  thrust  out,  as 
if  he  intended  to  kiss  the  other,  who  grew  more 
and  more  displeased.  Suddenly  the  stallion 
whirled  around — his  rider  not  trying  to 
restrain  him — and  let  fly  with  both  heels,  which, 
had  they  landed  fairly,  would  have  injured 
Zigzag,  but  a  portion  of  the  bulging  pack  inter- 
posed. Zigzag  was  sent  backward  for  several 
steps,  and  so  shaken  that  he  was  disgusted. 
The  snubbing  was  too  direct  to  be  misunder- 
stood, and  he  sullenly  wheeled  and  rejoined  his 
own  friends,  quite  content  to  leave  the  aristo- 
cratic interloper  to  himself. 

All  four  laughed,  for  there  was  a  humanness 
about  the  whole  thing  that  was  amusing.  The 
boys  and  the  Blackfoot  were  delighted,  while 
the  expression  of  Deerfoot  left  no  doubt  of  his 
pleasure  over  the  prize  he  had  gained.  Many 
a  wild  horse  had  been  brought  to  earth  by  the 
skilfully  thrown  lasso  or  riata,  hobbled  and 
mastered  by  the  horseman  who  had  his  own 


VHIRLVIND.  J5* 

animal  to  give  him  aid,  but  whoever  knew  of 
such  a  thing  being  done  by  a  single  person 
without  help  in  any  form  whatever?  And  yet 
you  have  been  shown  that  that  was  precisely 
what  was  done  by  Deerf  oot  the  Shawanoe. 

Mul-tal-la  quite  overwhelmed  his  youthful 
friend  with  praise.  Addressing  him  in  the 
tongue  of  the  Blackfeet — for  he  did  not  wish  the 
boys  to  understand  his  earnest  words — he 
declared  that  the  feat  was  one  that  no  other 
living  man  could  perform.  There  were  fine 
horsemen  among  the  different  tribes,  and  Mul- 
tal-la  had  witnessed  many  of  their  exhibitions 
of  skill,  but  there  was  none  to  be  compared  with 
Deerfoot.  The  dusky  fellow  was  specially 
ardent  in  praising  the  deftness,  power  and 
quickness  with  which  the  Shawanoe  had  thrown 
the  wild  stallion  without  bridle  or  saddle  or 
aid  of  any  kind. 

"See  the  fellow  blush!"  said  the  grinning 
Victor  to  his  brother.  "That  shows  that  Mul- 
tal-la  is  praising  Deerfoot.  I  never  saw  an 
Indian  blush,  for  it's  too  much  like  a  negro 
trying  to  do  it,  but  Deerfoot  can't  help  showing 
his  confusion." 

"There,"  added  George,  watching  the  coun- 


152  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

tenance  of  their  friend,  "he  has  told  Mul-tal-la 
to  stop,  and  he  daren't  refuse.  If  I  had  half 
the  smartness  of  Deerfoot  I  should  expect  to 
sit  down  and  hear  everybody  praise  me.  They 
couldn't  help  it." 

"I  don't  know  about  that.  I  don't  wait  for 
folks  to  praise  me." 

"Because  you  would  grow  gray  before  they 
did  it.  Hark!" 

Sitting  astride  of  the  motionless  stallion  their 
friend  called : 

"Will  my  brothers  give  Deerfoot  a  name  for 
Ms  horse?" 

"Yes,"  George  hastened  to  answer;  "call  him 
Dewdrop." 

The  Shawanoe  shook  his  head.  The  inappro- 
priateness  of  the  name  was  apparent,  even  to 
the  Blackfoot.  Indeed,  the  proposer  was  in 
jest. 

"I  have  it,"  said  Victor.  "Make  it  Whirl- 
wind." 

"My  brother  speaks  with  the  words  of  wis- 
dom, ' '  replied  the  Shawanoe.  '  '  His  name  shall 
be  Whirlwind,  though  it  would  not  be  bad  if  it 
were  Thunderbolt,  like  the  steed  that  was  con- 
quered many  moons  ago. ' ' 


CHAPTER  XI. 

PHYSICIAN  AND  PATIENT. 

THUS  the  noble  black  stallion  was  named. 
If  ever  a  person  felt  proud  of  his  prize 
it  was  Deerfoot,  the  Shawanoe.  The 
wild  horse  had  been  literally  cut  out  from 
the  herd  of  which  he  was  monarch  and  made 
captive  by  the  dusky  youth.  The  battle 
between  the  two  was  a  fair  one,  and  the  Indian 
was  the  victor,  and  never  was  a  more  striking 
victory  won. 

Deerfoot,  however,  knew  that  his  work  was 
not  yet  done,  though  he  had  made  fair  progress 
with  it.  He  must  win  the  affection  of  the 
creature,  or  all  that  had  been  previously  done 
would  go  for  naught. 

Since  the  Shawanoe  never  made  use  of  a  sad- 
dle, his  blanket  serving  that  purpose,  and  since 
also  there  was  none  at  command,  no  suggestion 
was  offered  him  in  that  respect.  Victor  Shel- 
ton,  however,  took  upon  himself  to  say: 

153 


J54  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

"You  will  have  to  bridle  him,  and  he  will 
fight  that." 

The  captor  shook  his  head. 

"So  long  as  Deerfoot  lives  Whirlwind  shall 
not  wear  saddle  or  bridle.  He  shall  be  ruled  by 
kindness,  as  all  animals  should  be  ruled." 

"Well,  if  anyone  can  do  it,  you're  the  chap, 
but  it  will  be  as  big  a  job  as  teaching  him  that 
you're  his  master." 

The  Shawanoe  improved  every  minute.  He 
continually  spoke  soothingly  to  the  stallion, 
patted  his  neck  and  sides,  and  never  lost 
patience  with  his  restlessness.  By  and  by  the 
youth  approached  and  in  the  gentlest  manner 
possible  spread  his  blanket  over  the  glossy 
coat,  not  yet  dry  from  the  moisture  caused  by 
his  determined  fight.  Whirlwind  shied  and  for 
some  minutes  would  not  permit  the  liberty,  but 
after  a  time  suffered  himself  to  be  persuaded. 
The  blanket  was  held  in  place  only  by  the 
weight  of  Deerfoot,  who  bestrode  it.  Then, 
rifle  in  hand,  he  urged  the  steed  forward,  and 
he  responded  somewhat  uncertainly. 

One  thing  interested  and  amused  our  friends 
from  the  beginning.  Whirlwind  did  not  hesi- 
tate to  show  his  contempt  for  the  common 


PHYSICIAN  AND  PATIENT.  J55 

horses  around  him.  The  snubbing  given  to  the 
presumptuous  Zigzag  was  no  more  marked 
than  his  feeling  toward  the  others.  Had  they 
invited  the  rebuff,  it  would  have  been  as  de- 
cisive as  the  one  described,  but  they  knew 
enough  to  keep  their  distance.  When  cropping 
the  grass  at  the  noon  halt,  the  stallion  did  so  at 
some  distance  from  the  others,  and  it  may  be 
added  that  at  night  Deerfoot  humored  his  aris- 
tocratic prejudices  by  allowing  him  to  "  flock  by 
himself. "  He  would  have  nothing  to  do  with 
any  of  his  species,  further  than  a  captured 
prince  is  obliged  to  come  in  contact  with  his 
inferiors. 

Toward  Mul-tal-la  and  the  Shelton  brothers 
the  steed  was  indifferent.  While  he  displayed 
no  ill  will  to  them,  he  exhibited  no  special 
friendship.  If  they  approached  with  caresses 
he  permitted  the  liberty,  but  it  gave  him  no 
pleasure,  and  he  would  have  been  quite  con- 
tent if  they  kept  their  distance  and  left  him 
to  himself. 

It  was  different,  however,  regarding  Deer- 
foot.  No  animal  living  is  quicker  to  recognize 
his  master,  or  to  know  when  an  incompetent 
has  him  in  charge,  than  a  horse.  To  his  last 


J56  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES, 

day  Whirlwind  would  vividly  remember  that 
desperate  struggle  in  which  he  was  thrown  and 
subdued  by  the  matchless  youth.  There  must 
have  been  a  feeling  akin  to  respect,  mingled 
perhaps  with  fear,  toward  the  victor  who  had 
done  what  was  never  yet  done  to  Whirlwind  by 
man  or  animal. 

This  sentiment  may  be  considered  the  foun- 
dation upon  which  Deerfoot  set  to  work  to 
build  the  friendship,  the  trust  and  the  affection 
of  the  magnificent  brute.  It  was  a  task 
demanding  limitless  patience,  prudence,  tact 
and  skill ;  but  the  Shawanoe  possessed  all  those 
virtues,  and  he  called  them  into  play.  While 
riding  in  advance  of  his  companions  he  set  out 
to  teach  Whirlwind  to  understand  and  obey  his 
commands.  In  this  task  he  showed  a  peculiar 
shrewdness  which  I  cannot  help  believing  would 
not  have  occurred  to  another. 

When  he  wished  the  stallion  to  turn  to  the 
right  or  left,  he  employed  two  methods.  The 
pressure  of  the  right  knee  meant  that  Whirl- 
wind should  turn  in  that  direction,  and  of  the 
left  knee  that  he  should  take  that  course;  the 
pressure  of  both  knees  that  he  should  increase 
his  pace,  the  increase  to  be  added  to  so  long  as 


PHYSICIAN  AND  PATIENT.  J57 

the  pressure  was  repeated,  the  same  as  if  he 
were  pricking  his  sides  with  his  spurs. 

Now,  all  these  methods  are  in  use  at  the 
present  day  and  have  been  from  time  imme- 
morial, so  there  was  nothing  noteworthy  in 
them.  But  Deerfoot  had  a  word  or  synonym 
for  each,  as  he  had  for  several  other  commands, 
and  which  he  taught  his  steed  after  a  time  to 
obey  with  equal  promptness.  These  words 
were  not  English,  but  a  mixture  of  Shawanoe 
and  Blackfoot,  accompanied  by  sounds  that 
were  original  with  himself. 

His  reason  for  adopting  this  plan  was  to 
prevent  anyone  else  "knowing  how  to  control 
Whirlwind.  It  might  come  about  that  at  some 
time  in  the  future  the  animal  would  fall  tem- 
porarily (Deerfoot  would  not  allow  himself  to 
believe  it  could  ever  be  permanently)  into  the 
possession  of  some  one  else.  That  person,  not 
knowing  the  code  of  the  Shawanoe  and  the 
stallion,  would  be  at  great  disadvantage.  The 
trick  was  worthy  of  the  Shawanoe. 

While  leading  the  advance  the  youth  held 
little  or  no  communication  with  his  friends; 
his  whole  interest  was  in  the  instruction  of 
Whirlwind,  and  he  gave  his  skill  to  that.  The 


J58  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

stallion  possessed  a  fine  grade  of  intelligence, 
much  above  that  of  the  animals  plodding  behind 
him.  Deerf  oot  was  not  long  in  discovering  that 
his  horse  was  pretending  to  a  dullness  that 
was  not  real.  But  the  time  came  when  the  kind 
patience  of  the  youth  made  its  impression,  and 
the  steed  responded  with  a  quickness  that 
delighted  Deerfoot.  Thenceforward  his  prog- 
ress was  so  rapid  that  it  astonished  the 
Blackfoot  and  the  boys. 

The  party  were  now  journeying  almost  due 
north.  The  guide  would  have  insisted  upon 
this  change  of  route  had  it  not  been  made  by 
Mul-tal-la,  because  he  was  not  wholly  free  of 
the  fear  of  the  reappearance  of  the  herd  of  wild 
horses  which  had  deserted  their  chief  that 
morning.  A  troublesome  if  not  dangerous 
complication  was  more  than  probable  in  such 
an  event.  Every  mile,  therefore,  that  the  trav- 
elers progressed  made  the  meeting  less  likely, 
and,  I  may  as  well  say,  it  never  took  place. 

While  there  was  no  lack  of  pasturage  for 
the  animals,  the  men  and  boys  were  not  always 
so  fortunate.  At  that  time  the  country  through 
which  they  were  journeying  abounded  with  elk, 
deer,  antelopes,  wild  turkeys,  grouse  and 


PHYSICIAN  AND  PATIENT.  J59 

beaver,  and  the  streams  were  stocked  with  pike, 
bass,  salmon-trout,  catfish,  buffalo  fish,  perch 
and  other  fish,  including  a  species  of  shrimp, 
yet  these  were  not  always  within  reach.  Some 
of  the  game  mentioned  were  scarce  in  one  sec- 
tion and  plentiful  in  another,  and,  although  they 
often  showed  themselves  in  the  distance,  were 
often  shy  and  fled  upon  the  first  approach  of  a 
hunter.  Instinctively  they  feared  man,  and  the 
raids  of  the  Indians  taught  them  lessons  that 
were  not  forgotten. 

When  at  noon  a  halt  was  made  on  the  bank 
of  a  small,  winding,  sluggish  stream  that  found 
its  way  into  one  of  the  branches  of  the  Platte, 
the  boys  tried  their  luck  at  fishing.  It  need 
not  be  said  that  several  hooks  and  lines  were 
in  their  outfit.  The  couple  were  not  rewarded 
with  a  single  bite.  Then  Mul-tal-la  took  up  the 
task  with  no  better  success.  Finally  Deerfoot 
was  appealed  to,  for,  as  you  know,  the  brothers 
believed  he  could  do  anything  within  the  range 
of  human  possibility.  He  carefully  baited  his 
hook  with  angleworms  and  seized  the  occasion 
to  remark: 

"Mul-tal-la  and  my  brothers  are  small  chil- 
dren. They  are  slow  to  learn.  Let  them  watch 


J60  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

Deerfoot  and  he  will  teach  them  how  to  bring 
fish  from  the  water." 

He  whirled  the  line,  weighted  with  a  pebble, 
out  to  the  middle  of  the  creek,  and  was  so  con- 
fident of  quickly  drawing  in  some  sort  of  fish 
that  he  did  not  squat  down  as  the  boys  and 
Mul-tal-la  had  done.  The  three  stood  around 
and  looked  wishful,  though  had  they  not  been 
so  a-hungered  they  would  have  been  glad  to  see 
the  Shawanoe  make  the  failure  they  had  made. 

By  and  by  the  boys  began  to  make  remarks : 

"I  like  to  see  Deerfoot  yank  out  the  fish  just 
as  soon  as  he  throws  in  his  hook,"  was  the 
first  observation  of  George,  made  within  five 
minutes  after  the  pebble  had  sunk  from  sight. 

"He's  waiting  to  catch  two  at  a  time.  He 
knows  how  hungry  we  are,  and  I  shouldn't 
wonder  if  he  feels  that  way  himself,"  added 
the  grinning  Victor. 

"Maybe  some  of  the  fish  saw  him  throw  out 
the  line,  and  have  gone  off  to  bring  up  their 
friends,  so  as  to  give  him  a  good  show." 

"Don't  catch  too  many,  Deerfoot.  We  don't 
need  more  than  fifty  or  a  hundred." 

Mul-tal-la  said  nothing,  but  his  teeth  showed. 
He  was  enjoying  the  quiet  fun.  The  Shawa- 


PHYSICIAN  AND  PATIENT.  J6J 

noe  acted  as  if  he  heard  nothing.  The  line 
rested  lightly  in  his  fingers,  which  were  so  deli- 
cately poised  that  he  was  sure  to  feel  the  slight- 
est tug  or  twitch,  and  he  kept  his  eyes  on  the 
surface  of  the  turbid  stream. 

Suddenly  he  gave  a  jerk  and  rapidly  hauled 
in  the  line,  hand  over  hand.  When  the  hook 
came  creeping  out  of  the  current  the  bait  was 
gone,  and  no  fish  was  in  sight. 

The  brothers  snickered. 

"Did  you  ever  know  of  meaner  fish?"  asked 
Victor;  "that  hook  was  fast  in  his  gills,  but  he 
twisted  it  loose.  It  wasn't  fair.  I  hope  Deer- 
foot  doesn't  feel  bad." 

"I  saw  something  like  the  tail  of  a  fish  as 
he  flirted  off,"  added  George.  "I  guess  he 
doesn't  know  who  is  fishing — that  is,  who  is 
trying  to  fish." 

Never  a  word  did  Deerf  oot  speak.  He  baited 
his  hook  with  the  utmost  care,  and  in  obedience 
to  an  old  superstition  which  prevailed  even  at 
that  day  among  fishermen,  spat  upon  the  bait 
before  casting  it  into  the  water. 

"Ah,  that'll  fetch  'em!"  exclaimed  George, 
smacking  his  lips  in  anticipation  of  the  coming 
feast.  "No  fish  can  refuse  such  a  bait  as 
that/9 

11 


J62  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

All  the  same  they  did  refuse  it.  Though  the 
Shawanoe  waited  patiently  for  a  full  half  hour 
and  once  or  twice  felt  something  toying  with 
the  hook,  he  caught  nothing.  Finally  he  drew 
in  the  line  and  wound  it  up. 

"My  brothers  talked  so  much  they  scared 
the  fish  away,"  he  remarked.  "We  shall  have 
to  wait  till  to-night  or  to-morrow  or  next  week 
for  food." 

The  dismay  on  the  faces  of  the  brothers  gave 
Deerfoot  his  turn  at  merriment.  They  knew 
lie  was  able  to  go  a  day  or  two  without  food  and 
not  seem  to  mind  it.  With  them,  however,  it 
was  different,  but  seemingly  there  was  no  help 
for  them.  They  accepted  the  situation  with  the 
best  grace  possible,  which  was  poor  enough. 

Meanwhile  the  horses  were  cropping  the 
juicy  grass,  Whirlwind  by  himself  and  the 
others  herding  together.  All  had  had  a  good 
rest,  and  the  party  now  gathered  together  for 
their  journey,  which  was  pressed  as  before, 
Deerfoot  in  the  lead,  talking  with  and  giving 
instructions  to  Whirlwind.  The  weather  be- 
came perceptibly  colder,  as  if  from  the  prox- 
imity of  the  snow-covered  peak  and  the  lofty 
range  of  mountains  that  stretched  beyond  the 
limit  of  their  vision. 


PHYSICIAN  AND  PATIENT.  563 

About  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  Whirlwind 
showed  a  slight  limp.  It  was  so  slight,  indeed, 
that  no  one  noticed  it  except  Deerfoot.  He 
instantly  checked  the  stallion,  slipped  off  his 
back  and  made  an  investigation.  The  cause 
was  apparent:  the  left  knee  showed  signs  of 
swelling.  That  was  the  leg  whose  ankle  the 
Shawanoe  had  gripped  and  imprisoned  for  a 
minute  or  two  during  the  fight  in  the  morning. 
In  falling  violently  the  knee  had  been  injured, 
but  to  so  small  an  extent  that  this  was  the  first 
evidence  of  any  such  thing. 

The  hunters  and  trappers,  when  absent  on 
their  long  excursions  in  the  mountains  and  soli- 
tudes, were,  of  course,  without  the  means  of 
shoeing  their  animals,  and  it  need  not  be  said 
that  Whirlwind's  hoofs  had  never  been  thus 
shielded.  This  was  a  small  matter,  for  the  pro- 
tection was  not  needed.  Moreover,  the  outfit 
of  our  friends  contained  nothing  in  the  nature 
of  liniment,  ointment,  unguent  or  even  grease 
that  could  be  used  in  an  emergency  like  the 
present.  Deerfoot  was  without  any  medica- 
ment that  could  be  applied  to  the  knee  of  the 
stallion.  All  he  could  do  was  to  give  it  rest 
and  leave  the  healing  to  nature.  That  he 
instantly  decided  should  be  done. 


164  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

"Let  my  brothers  go  on.  When  Whirlwind 
is  well  Deerfoot  will  join  them,"  he  said, 
addressing  the  three. 

"How  far  shall  we  go?"  asked  George. 

"My  brothers  will  go  as  far  as  they  can. 
Deerfoot  will  find  them  when  Whirlwind  is  able 
to  walk  without  pain.  It  may  be  one,  or  two  or 
three  days,  but  Deerfoot  will  have  no  trouble, 
for  the  trail  will  be  plain." 

The  Shawanoe  and  Blackfoot  talked  for  a 
few  minutes  in  order  to  perfect  an  understand- 
ing, and  then  the  three  rode  off,  leaving  Deer- 
foot  alone  with  Whirlwind,  to  whom  he  gave 
his  full  attention. 

No  mother  ever  passed  her  cool  hand  across 
the  fevered  brow  of  her  child  more  lovingly 
than  did  the  young  Shawanoe  fondle  the  sen- 
sitive knee  of  the  mettled  steed.  The  latter  did 
not  twitch  or  resent  the  caress,  for  the  magnet- 
ism of  the  touch,  its  gentleness  and  the  soothing 
words  were  worth  more  than  any  medicinal 
oil  could  have  been.  The  soft,  cool  palm  slid 
over  the  silken  hair  like  the  brush  of  down. 
The  motion  was  always  toward  the  hoof  and 
never  up  the  limb  "against  the  grain."  Some- 
times, while  one  hand  was  thus  employed,  the 


PHYSICIAN  AND  PATIENT.  J65 

other  patted  the  nose  that  was  bent  down  in 
acknowledgment  of  the  kindness. 

When  finally  Deerfoot  stepped  back  and 
straightened  up,  Whirlwind  stood  firmly  on  all 
his  legs.  Had  his  master  called  for  it,  he  would 
have  galloped  off  with  hardly  a  perceptible 
limp. 

But  Deerfoot  had  no  such  thought.  That 
knee  should  not  be  permitted  to  go  into  service 
until  as  strong  and  sound  as  the  other.  While 
the  injury  was  insignificant,  it  was  sure  to 
become  worse  through  unwise  treatment.  All 
that  was  necessary  was'to  give  nature  a  chance ; 
she  always  strives  to  right  such  matters,  and 
the  most  that  medical  skill  can  do  is  to  help, 
and  all  too  often  the  effort  proves  a  hindrance 
rather  than  an  aid. 

The  downy  rubbing  was  repeated  at  inter- 
vals and  did  much  good.  Whirlwind  showed 
his  appreciation  by  lowering  his  head  and  rest- 
ing his  nose  on  the  shoulder  of  the  stooping 
Deerfoot,  whose  heart  responded  to  the  caress. 
He  felt  that  they  had  become  real  friends. 

Some  time  later  he  coaxed  Whirlwind  to  lie 
down.  The  stallion  was  reluctant  at  first,  for  a 
horse  dislikes  to  do  this  except  when  tired  out, 


J66  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

and  then  he  is  often  satisfied  with  rolling  on  his 
back,  but  he  yielded.  Then  Deerfoot  plucked 
several  handfuls  of  grass,  cutting  off  the  roots 
with  his  knife,  and  fed  them  to  his  friend,  who 
ate  probably  to  please  him,  for  surely  he  could 
not  have  been  hungry. 

Now  and  then  the  knee  was  tenderly  kneaded, 
and  certainly  improved,  if  indeed  it  was  riot 
already  cured.  When  at  last  the  chilly  night 
closed  in,  the  young  Shawanoe  lay  down  beside 
Whirlwind,  so  arranging  the  blanket  that  it 
covered  both,  and  their  bodies  were  mutually 
warmed  by  the  contact.  Physician  and  patient 
were  doing  well,  thank  you. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

A  HURRIED  FLIGHT. 

/T  LTHOUGH  George  and  Victor  Shelton 
|  parted  for  the  time  from  Deerfoot 

with  regret,  it  cannot  be  said  that 
either  felt  any  misgiving.  There  could  be  no 
doubt  of  the  Shawanoe's  ability  to  track  them 
all  the  way  to  the  Pacific  if  necessary,  for  the 
trail  would  be  plain  except  when  they  took  to 
the  water,  which  was  not  likely  to  be  for  a  long 
time  to  come.  Moreover,  Mul-tal-la  had  said 
that  little  was  to  be  feared  from  the  Indians  of 
the  country  through  which  they  must  make  their 
way.  Had  the  boys  been  alone  danger  might 
threaten,  for  most  of  the  hunters  and  trappers 
who  penetrated  those  vast  solitudes  looked 
upon  and  treated  the  red  men  as  their  enemies, 
and  naturally  were  thus  looked  upon  and 
treated  in  their  turn. 

The  Blackfoot  and  his  companion  met  with 
no  trouble  of  this  nature  on  their  eastward 
journey.  They  were  always  able  to  make  clear 

167 


)6ft  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

their  meaning  by  signs,  and  the  fact  that  the 
two  belonged  to  the  same  race  with  the  different 
tribes  was  a  sufficient  passport.  It  seemed 
reasonable,  therefore,  to  believe  that  the  pres- 
ence of  Mul-tal-la  gave  all  the  protection  that 
could  be  needed. 

The  Blackfoot  took  Deerfoot's  place  as 
leader,  the  brothers  riding  a  little  to  the  rearr 
with  Zigzag  plodding  in  his  usual  indifferent 
fashion.  Just  now  the  chief  concern  of  the 
boys  was  as  to  how  they  were  to  obtain  a  meal, 
for  the  thought  of  going  to  sleep  without  food 
was  intolerable. 

To  the  left,  in  the  direction  of  the  foothills, 
they  descried  a  half-dozen  elk  browsing;  but 
the  game  were  as  timid  as  antelopes,  without 
their  fatal  defect  of  overwhelming  curiosity, 
and  they  made  off  long  before  our  friends  could 
get  within  range.  Several  miles  to  the  east- 
ward a  dark  undulating  mass  which  covered 
hundreds  of  acres  showed  where  another  vast 
herd  of  bison  were  moving  southward.  Vic- 
tor was  disposed  to  ask  Mul-tal-la  to  change 
their  course  so  as  to  get  a  shot  at  one  of  the 
animals,  but  his  brother  urged  him  to  wait  in 
the  hope  of  a  better  chance  to  bring  down  some- 
thing edible. 


A  HURRIED  FLIGHT.  J69 

An  hour  later  this  chance  presented  itself. 
Three  graceful  antelopes  came  in  sight  as  the 
horsemen  rode  over  an  elevation.  They  were 
cropping  the  grass  on  the  slope  of  a  hill  nearly 
a  half  mile  distant.  George  brought  his  glass  to 
his  eye  and  saw  that  the  alert  creatures  had 
already  caught  sight  of  them.  They  were 
standing  with  heads  erect  and  staring  at  the 
strangers,  ready  to  dash  off  like  the  wind  on 
the  first  demonstration  or  further  move  toward 
them. 

"  There 's  our  supper  J"  exclaimed  Victor,  as 
the  three  halted,  for  the  Blackfoot  was  also 
interested  in  the  sight.  "I  know  they  aren't 
the  best  food  in  the  world,  but  I'm  too  hungry 
to  be  particular.  Mul-tal-la,  how  are  we  to 
manage  it!" 

"I  will  let  my  brother  shoot  one  of  them," 
replied  the  Blackfoot,  who,  as  you  know,  had 
caught  Deerfoot's  manner  of  speech. 

"That  suits  me.  George,  you  don't  mind. 
It  will  be  your  turn  next  time." 

"I'm  satisfied,"  returned  his  brother;  "but 
you  must  remember  and  not  let  your  impatience 
run  away  with  you.  Keep  cool  or  we  shall  have 
to  go  without  supper." 


J70  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

" Don't  fear  for  me,'*  remarked  the  ardent 
Victor,  who  slipped  out  of  the  saddle  and  set 
off  without  delay;  "I  know  what's  at  stake. " 

Had  he  gone  directly  toward  the  antelopes 
they  would  have  been  off  on  the  instant. 
Instead,  he  went  back  over  the  ridge  just 
crossed,  thus  interposing  that  screen  between 
him  and  the  animals.  By  following  this  he 
could  approach  within  a  fourth  of  a  mile  of  the 
game,  and  from  that  moment  the  utmost  cau- 
tion and  skill  would  be  necessary.  His  brother 
and  the  Blackfoot  withdrew  so  as  to  occupy  a 
position  on  the  crest  of  the  elevation,  where 
they  could  observe  the  actions  of  Victor  from 
the  beginning  and  at  the  same  time  keep  an  eye 
upon  the  antelopes  themselves. 

The  latter  fixed  their  attention  upon  the 
point  where  the  horsemen  had  first  come  into 
view,  hesitating  whether  to  break  away  in  swift 
flight  or  to  wait  until  they  could  gratify  their 
resistless  curiosity.  George  Shelton  and  Mul- 
tal-la  had  dismounted,  and  lying  down  in  the 
grass,  took  care  not  to  show  themselves, 
through  fear  of  alarming  the  game,  for,  if  the 
antelopes  should  make  off,  slight  chance  of 
securing  a  meal  would  remain. 


A  HURRIED  FLIGHT.  17 J 

Meanwhile  Victor  was  stealing  along  the 
ridge  until,  as  he  judged,  he  had  reached  a 
point  nearly  opposite  the  animals,  who  were  a 
furlong  distant.  Then  he  crept  up  the  eleva- 
tion, whose  crest  fortunately  was  crowned  with 
the  same  exuberant  growth  of  grass  that  grew 
in  the  valley  beyond. 

So  painstaking  was  he  that  his  friends  lost 
sight  of  him  and  did  not  know  when  he  was  at 
the  crest  of  the  elevation  until  the  antelopes 
showed  by  their  excitement  that  they  had 
detected  him.  They  had  resumed  cropping  the 
grass,  when  all  three  abruptly  raised  their 
heads  and  dashed  off  at  the  height  of  their 
astonishing  speed.  A  moment  later  Victor  was 
seen  running  down  the  slope  until  a  little 
beyond  the  base,  when  he  dropped  on  his  face. 

Immediately  after,  while  his  body  was 
screened  from  sight,  he  raised  the  ramrod  of  his 
rifle,  with  his  cap  on  the  upper  end.  The  lower 
point  was  pushed  down  into  the  earth  so  that 
unaided  it  supported  the  headgear.  He  had 
improved  on  the  method  of  the  Blackfoot. 

At  first  it  looked  as  if  this  artifice  had  come 
too  late,  for  the  antelopes  continued  running. 
When  first  seen  they  were  in  a  valley-like 


J72  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

depression  with  a  width  of  a  third  of  a  mile. 
They  made  a  pretty  picture  as  they  skimmed 
up  the  opposite  slope  with  their  bodies  show- 
ing in  relief  against  the  green  background. 

The  cap,  however,  on  top  of  the  ramrod  was 
so  conspicuous  that  they  were  not  long  in  dis- 
covering it.  The  three  stopped,  turned  side- 
ways and  stood  a  few  minutes  gazing  intently 
at  the  strange  object.  Then  all  three  broke 
into  a  gentle  trot  toward  it,  keeping  side  by  side 
most  of  the  way.  One  of  the  trio  had  more 
sense  or  possibly  more  timidity  than  his  com- 
panions, for  he  abruptly  stopped  and  refused 
to  go  any  farther.  Strangely  enough,  the 
others  showed  no  hesitation  until  within  a  hun- 
dred yards  of  where  the  boy,  stretched  out  in 
the  grass,  was  waiting  for  the  moment  when 
he  could  make  his  aim  sure. 

"I  wonder  if  they  ain't  twins  like  me  and 
George,"  was  the  whimsical  fancy  of  the  lad, 
as  he  watched  the  similarity  of  action  on  the 
part  of  the  two  antelopes.  They  had  halted  at 
precisely  the  same  second,  and  now  moved  for- 
ward again,  both  stepping  high  and  advancing 
with  a  curious  hesitation  which  indicated  the 
mental  struggle  between  fear  and  curiosity. 


A  HURRIED  FLIGHT.  J73 

One  turned  to  the  left  and  ran  nimbly  in  a 
circle  of  several  rods  diameter,  coming  around 
and  facing  the  ramrod  and  cap  again,  as  if 
hypnotized.  At  the  same  moment  the  other 
described  a  similar  circle  to  the  right,  return- 
ing like  his  companion,  so  that  the  two  stood 
side  by  side,  with  heads  raised,  and  stepped 
off  again,  as  if  keeping  time  with  the  signals 
of  some  one  who  had  trained  them  to  the  per- 
formance. 

Victor  was  impatient,  but  he  had  too  much 
prudence  to  throw  away  the  opportunity  that 
he  knew  would  come  to  him  in  a  few  minutes. 
When  both  animals  were  nigh  enough  for  him 
to  be  sure  of  his  aim  he  still  hesitated,  with 
gun  pointed,  hammer  raised  and  finger  on  the 
trigger.  He  was  wondering  how  much  nearer 
they  would  approach.  Surely,  when  they 
caught  sight  of  him  in  the  grass,  their  curiosity 
would  vanish,  and  they  would  dash  off  in  the 
very  extremity  of  terror.  He  lay  low  and 
waited. 

His  plan  was  to  hold  his  fire  until  the  dis- 
covery should  burst  upon  the  antelopes  and 
they  wheeled  to  flee.  This  turning  would  give 
him  his  best  chance,  and  he  intended  to  shoot 
at  the  crisis  of  the  change  of  direction. 


J74  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

One  of  the  creatures  paused,  as  if  he  had 
observed  something  that  warned  him  to  halt. 
His  companion  took  three  steps  more  and  then 
halted,  with  head  high  in  air  and  one  foot  lifted 
and  poised  like  a  pointer  dog. 

It  was  at  this  juncture  that  Victor  Shelton 
bore  hard  on  the  trigger,  for  he  dared  wait  no 
longer,  though  he  had  decided  a  moment  before 
to  fire  as  the  animals  wheeled. 

To  his  dismay  the  hammer  of  his  rifle  did 
not  descend.  He  pressed  harder,  but  the  iron 
claw  which  grasped  the  flint  remained  immova- 
ble. Then  the  truth  flashed  upon  him.  In  his 
excitement  he  had  only  half-cocked  his  gun. 
There  should  have  been  three  clicks  when  he 
drew  back  the  hammer,  but  there  were  only  two. 
In  that  position  it  would  not  obey  the  trigger, 
no  matter  how  hard  the  pressure.  It  must  be 
drawn  to  a  full  cock. 

Without  shifting  his  posture,  he  raised  his 
thumb  from  the  trigger  guard,  so  that  it  passed 
over  the  hammer,  and  then  pulled  it  back  as 
far  as  it  would  go.  It  was  at  full  cock,  but  in 
reaching  that  point  it  emitted  a  single  click. 

Faint  as  was  the  sound,  it  was  heard  by  the 
two  antelopes  fully  fifty  yards  away,  and  they 


A  HURRIED  FLIGHT.  J75 

whirled  to  dash  off.  At  the  instant  that  their 
sides  were  toward  him,  Victor  discharged  his 
gun  and  sent  the  bullet  straight  and  true.  One 
antelope  kept  on  running,  his  head  flung  back, 
while  he  sped  across  the  valley  like  a  swallow 
on  the  wing.  The  one  that  had  been  smitten 
flirted  back  again  and  then  came  on  a  full  run 
straight  for  the  spot  in  the  grass  from  which 
the  fatal  missile  had  been  fired,  as  if  deter- 
mined to  slay  his  foe  before  his  own  strength 
failed  him. 

" Great  Caesar!"  exclaimed  the  scared  Vic- 
tor; "I  didn't  know  an  antelope  was  that  sort 
of  beast.  I've  got  to  get  out  of  here  mighty 
quick!" 

There  was  no  time  to  reload  his  weapon. 
Never  did  he  leap  to  his  feet  and  make  off  at 
greater  speed  than  when  he  saw  the  antelope 
bearing  down  upon  him,  and  it  may  be  added 
that  never  did  he  run  so  fast  as  in  going  up 
the  slope  and  down  the  other  side,  and  then  in  a 
line  for  his  companions. 

At  such  critical  moments  a  boy  does  not  con- 
sider his  duty  done  unless  he  does  all  he  can 
in  the  way  of  yelling.  The  shouts  that  Victor 
Shelton  sent  resounding  over  the  surrounding 


J76  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

country  must  have  reached  several  miles.  He 
did  not  look  behind  him,  for  that  would  have 
interfered  to  a  fractional  extent  with  his  speed, 
but  ran  with  might  and  main,  marking  each 
leap  by  a  tremendous  outcry. 

He  expected  with  every  breath  to  feel  the 
antelope's  razor-like  hoofs  carve  their  way 
downward  into  his  shoulders.  That  several 
minutes  passed  without  such  carving  he 
accepted  as  proof  that  he  was  making  as  good 
time  as  his  furious  pursuer.  If  this  was  grati- 
fying it  was  also  surprising,  for  Victor  had 
never  been  noted  for  his  fleetness  of  foot,  and 
he  knew  something  of  the  fleetness  of  the 
antelope.  He  concluded  that  there  was  no  tell- 
ing what  a  boy  of  his  age  can  accomplish  in 
the  way  of  running  until  the  actual  necessity 
for  it  arises. 

All  this  time  Victor  did  not  forget  to  yell. 
But  after  awhile  the  expenditure  of  so  much 
breath  began  to  affect  his  strength.  So  he 
closed  his  mouth  and  gave  his  whole  attention 
to  getting  over  the  ground  in  the  best  possible 
time. 

Because  of  this  cessation  of  his  outcries  he 
became  aware  that  his  brother  was  also  shont- 


A  HURRIED  FLIGHT.  177 

ing.  Listening  carefully,  Victor  was  finally 
able  to  catch  his  words : 

"What  are  you  running  for!" 

"That's  a  pretty  question!"  he  reflected, 
"when  he  can  see  for  himself  that  the  antelope 
is  determined  to  have  my  life!" 

It  occurred  to  the  fugitive  to  look  around 
and  see  how  far  he  was  leaving  his  fearful 
enemy  behind.  He  was  not  in  sight.  He  had 
not  even  come  over  the  ridge,  but  had  fallen 
before  taking  more  than  a  dozen  steps  in  the 
direction  of  the  lad.  This  spurt  was  a  blind, 
aimless  flight,  its  direction  being  involuntary. 
The  antelope  would  not  have  dared  to  attack 
the  boy  any  more  than  it  would  have  dared 
to  assail  a  grizzly  bear. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

A  STARTLING  AWAKENING. 

/TT\HAT  night,  after  a  bountiful  meal, 
George  Shelton  quietly  said  to  his 
brother : 

"You  remember,  Victor,  that  you  and  I  left 
home  on  the  morning  of  the  turkey  shoot,  tell- 
ing father  that  we  didn't  wish  to  stay  and  win 
the  prize?" 

"Of  course,  but  nobody  believed  us." 

"I  don't  suppose  anyone  did,  but  if  you  had 
gone  into  that  foot-race  against  Deerfoot  and 
Ralph  Genther,  neither  would  have  had  a 
show.  I  never  dreamed  how  fast  you  can  run 
till  I  saw  that  antelope  after  you." 

"See  here  now,  George,  what's  the  use  of 
talking  forever  about  that!  You  would  have 
done  just  as  I  did  if  you  saw  a  wild  animal 
coming  down  on  you  like  a  whirlwind,  and  just 
after  you  had  wounded  him." 

"I  suppose  I  should,  but  I  couldn't  have 
made  the  time  you  did." 

178 


A  STARTLING  AWAKENING.  179 

"I  wonder  whether  Deerfoot  will  come  up 
with  us  to-night, "  remarked  Victor,  anxious 
to  change  the  subject  of  conversation,  and 
peering  in  the  gloom  to  the  southward. 

"No,"  replied  the  grinning  Mul-tal-la;  "you 
will  see  nothing  of  our  brother  for  some  days. 
He  will  not  let  Whirlwind  use  his  leg  till  he 
knows  he  can't  hurt  it,  and  that  won't  be  for 
some  time  yet." 

The  camp  had  been  made  on  the  slope  of  the 
ridge,  over  which  they  had  passed  once  or  twice, 
and  at  the  base  of  which  meandered  a  small 
stream  that  finally  made  its  way  into  one  of  the 
tributaries  of  the  Platte,  and  so  finally  reached 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Beyond  this  water  the 
land  sloped  upward  again.  Thus  it  will  be  seen 
that  our  friends  were  near  the  bottom  of  a  val- 
ley, covered  with  succulent  grass,  and  showing 
here  and  there  growths  of  willows  and  a  species 
of  alfalfa,  whose  bark  sometimes  serves  ani- 
mals for  food,  but  owing  to  the  small  size  of  the 
growth  itself  the  wood  is  comparatively  worth- 
less. 

It  was  the  turn  of  Victor  to  mount  guard  for 
the  first  half  of  the  night.  The  horses  had 
become  so  accustomed  to  the  routine  that,  after 


J80  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

packs,  saddles  and  bridles  were  removed,  they 
could  be  trusted  to  crop  the  herbage  until  ready 
to  lie  down  for  the  night.  Zigzag  had  gotten 
into  the  habit  of  nibbling  much  longer  than  his 
companions.  Perhaps  his  teeth  were  not  so 
good,  but  the  sentinels  had  often  observed  him 
moving  here  and  there  long  after  his  com- 
panions were  asleep.  George  Shelton  named 
his  natural  stubbornness  as  the  cause,  thougK 
the  charge  was  hardly  fair. 

The  night  had  progressed  far  enough  for 
George  to  wrap  himself  in  his  blanket,  for  the 
night  was  quite  cold,  and  lie  down  with  hia 
feet  to  the  fire.  The  Blackfoot  was  not  yet 
ready  to  sleep.  Instead,  he  sat  with  his  blanket 
around  his  shoulders  and  seemed  to  sink  into 
a  reverie.  He  remained  motionless  for  a  long 
time,  gazing  absently  into  the  fire  and  saying 
nothing  to  anyone.  At  last  Victor  gently 
reminded  him  that  he  was  at  liberty  to  sleep 
while  the  boy  guarded  the  camp. 

Instead  of  lying  down  the  Indian  rose  to  his 
feet  and  stood  for  some  minutes  looking  off 
to  the  northward  toward  the  nearest  stretch 
of  mountains  or  the  opposite  side  of  the  valley. 
It  was  as  if  he  had  noted  something  in  that 


A  STARTLING  AVAKENING.  J8J 

direction  which  interested  him.  He  turned  to 
the  boy : 

"Let  not  my  brother  fear;  Mul-tal-la  will  not 
be  away  long." 

And  with  this  remark  he  walked  down  the 
slope,  soon  passing  from  sight  in  the  gloom. 

"That's  a  queer  piece  of  business,"  reflected 
Victor.  "I  wonder  what's  the  matter;  maybe 
he's  seen  some  of  his  people  over  yonder  and 
has  gone  to  call  upon  them." 

However,  there  was  no  cause  for  misgiving, 
and  the  youth  gave  the  Blackfoot  no  further 
thought,  knowing  he  would  return  when  he 
thought  proper.  Meanwhile  the  brothers  need 
not  fear  disturbance  from  man  or  animal. 

The  weather  was  still  clear,  though  the  trav^ 
elers  had  observed  a  heavy  black  cloud  over  the 
mountains,  just  before  sunset,  which  threatened 
a  downpour  of  rain,  but  the  black  mass  was 
moving  northward  above  the  peaks  and  soon 
disappeared.  The  moon  was  near  the  end  of 
the  first  quarter,  and  shed  enough  light  for  one 
to  see  quite  clearly  for  a  distance  of  fifty  yards 
more  or  less.  This  illumination  was  steady, 
for  not  a  cloud  drifted  across  its  face  to  pro- 
duce the  shifting  shadows  and  alternations  of 


J82  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

light  and  obscurity  which  often  mystified  the 
man  or  boy  on  guard. 

It  had  struck  Victor  more  than  once  that 
whoever  acted  as  sentinel  was — for  most  of  the 
time — wasting  the  hours  that  might  as  well  have 
been  spent  in  rest.  Not  once  had  anyone  been 
in  danger  of  attack  from  wild  animals,  nor  since 
crossing  the  Mississippi  had  any  Indians 
molested  them.  Moreover,  he  was  sure  that  in 
the  event  of  anything  of  the  kind  the  horses 
would  give  timely  warning.  But  Deerfoot  had 
made  the  order,  before  leaving  the  young  State 
of  Ohio,  that  never  was  the  camp  to  be  left 
unguarded,  and  while  he  was  with  them  the 
rule  had  not  been  disobeyed.  It  was  useless 
to  protest  to  the  Shawanoe,  who  had  a  way  of 
enforcing  his  views  which  no  one  dared  oppose. 
No  argument,  therefore,  had  been  offered,  and 
that  sense  of  honor  which  was  ingrained  with 
the  twins  made  each  more  careful  of  carrying 
out  the  views  of  the  "  guide,  counsellor  and 
friend"  during  his  absence  than  when  he  was 
with  them.  Consequently,  Victor  Shelton,  rest- 
ing his  gun  over  his  shoulder,  began  slowly 
pacing  to  and  fro,  after  the  manner  of  a  veteran 
sentinel.  His  beat  was  twenty  steps  or  so,  and 


A  STARTLING  AVAKENING.  183 

one  termination  brought  him  near  where  the 
horses  had  already  lain  down  for  the  night. 
Bather  it  should  be  said  that  only  three  of  them 
had  done  so,  for  Zigzag,  acting  out  his  queer 
disposition,  was  seen  moving  slowly  here  and 
there  as  he  munched  the  lush  grass.  He 
was  likely  to  keep  it  up  for  an  hour  or  two,  and 
the  boy  gave  no  heed  to  him. 

A  monotonous  hour  had  worn  away  when 
Victor's  attention  was  drawn  to  the  wakeful 
horse.  He  was  standing  with  head  raised,  bits 
of  grass  dripping  from  his  jaws,  ears  pricked, 
and  staring  toward  the  other  side  of  the  valley, 
as  if  he  had  discovered  something  in  that 
direction. 

' '  I  guess  Mul-tal-la  is  coming  back7' '  was  the 
thought  of  the  lad,  "and  Zigzag  hasn't  noticed 
that  he  is  absent." 

But  no  Blackfoot  came  into  view  in  the  dim 
light,  and  the  animal's  restlessness,  instead  of 
passing,  became  more  marked.  He  threw  his 
head  still  higher,  looked  more  keenly  and 
emitted  a  faint  neigh. 

"I  wonder  what's  the  matter  with  him,"  said 
Victor,  turning  aside  from  his  beat  and  walk- 
ing out  to  the  animal,  whom  he  patted  and  tried 


J84  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

to  soothe.  To  his  astonishment  he  found  the 
horse  was  in  a  tremor,  as  if  scared  by  some- 
thing he  either  saw  or  heard. 

Victor  turned  his  gaze  in  the  same  directionr 
hut  could  discover  nothing  to  explain  the  alarm 
of  the  brute.  Then  he  listened. 

From  the  direction  of  the  mountains  he  heard 
a  peculiar  sound.  It  was  a  dull  but  steadily 
increasing  roar,  such  as  you  have  noticed  at 
night  when  a  railway  train  was  first  detected 
miles  distant.  The  boy  supposed  it  was  a  gale 
of  wind,  similar  to  what  he  had  felt  more  than 
once  since  crossing  the  Mississippi,  and,  indeed, 
while  still  on  the  other  side  of  that  river. 

But  no  sooner  had  he  formed  this  conclusion 
than  he  was  sensible  of  a  difference  in  the 
sound  from  that  which  had  come  to  mind.  It 
was  more  intense  and  its  volume  was  growing 
faster  than  he  had  ever  observed  before. 

"I  wish  Mul-tal-la  was  here,"  was  the 
thought  of  Victor,  who  began  to  feel  uncom- 
fortable; "he  would  know  the  meaning  of  that, 
which  is  more  than  7  know." 

He  still  believed  the  uproar  was  caused  by 
wind,  though  of  a  more  violent  nature  than  any 
yet  noted  by  him.  A  whirlwind,  a  hurricane, 


A  STARTLING  AVAKENING.  185 

or  what  in  these  times  is  called  a  cyclone,  may 
have  been  born  among  the  mountains,  and 
would  soon  be  careering  over  the  prairies  with 
terrific  might.  If  such  proved  the  fact,  Victor 
could  think  of  nothing  to  do;  for,  though  he 
and  his  brother  fled,  they  would  be  as  liable 
to  run  into  the  vortex  or  centre  of  disturbance 
as  to  be  caught  where  they  were. 

His  alarm,  however,  led  him  to  hurry  to  the 
side  of  George  and  awaken  him.  The  latter 
was  on  his  feet  in  an  instant,  startled  by  the 
terrifying  noise,  which  had  aroused  the  other 
horses,  who  also  arose  and  showed  signs  of  fear. 
Before  the  two  could  exchange  more  than  a  few 
words  the  darkness  was  pierced  by  the  voice 
of  the  Blackfoot  from  some  point  on  the  other 
side  of  the  valley. 

"Make  haste,  brothers!  Flee  to  the  highest 
land  you  can  reach !" 

"That  means  a  cloudburst !"  exclaimed 
George.  "That  is  what  the  black  cloud  did. 
The  valley  will  be  a  rushing  torrent  in  a  few 
minutes ! ' ' 

The  words  were  yet  in  his  mouth  when  the 
roar  of  the  brook  a  little  way  off  was  heard. 
The  forerunner  of  the  flood  was  sweeping  down 


J86  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

the  valley  and  would  be  quickly  followed  by  a 
Niagara  of  water. 

The  boys  ran  to  the  horses  and  began  with 
desperate  haste  to  make  them  ready  for  flight. 
The  goods  on  hand  were  too  valuable  to  be  lost. 
Saddles  and  bridles  were  hurriedly  adjusted  in 
a  slipshod  fashion,  and  then  both  bent  their 
energies  to  replacing  the  packs  upon  Zigzag, 
who  won  the  gratitude  of  the  brothers  by  acting 
as  if  he  understood  the  danger  and  was  eager 
to  give  all  the  help  he  could.  He  stood  motion- 
less while  with  nervous,  trembling  hands  the 
two  fixed  the  bulky  bundles  in  position. 

"Li's  here!"  called  out  Victor,  who  felt  the 
water  about  his  ankles  and  rapidly  rising.  ' '  It 
won't  do  to  wait  another  minute!'1 

The  horses  were  headed  up  the  slope  and  all 
broke  into  a  gallop,  for  the  instinct  of  their 
species  often  surpasses  the  reason  of  man  in 
such  crises  of  peril.  The  lads  ran  alongside, 
slapping  their  haunches  and  urging  them  to 
greater  speed. 

It  looked  for  a  few  minutes  as  if,  despite  their 
haste,  they  would  be  overwhelmed,  for  within 
two  or  three  minutes  after  starting  they  were 
wading  through  the  rushing  volume  that 


A  STARTLING  AWAKENING.  187 

reached  to  their  knees.  Victor  stumbled,  and 
George,  with  a  cry,  caught  his  arm,  believing 
he  was  about  to  be  swept  off  his  feet,  but  he 
recovered  himself  and  plunged  up  the  slope 
faster  than  before. 

Nothing  could  have  saved  the  boys  and  ani- 
mals but  the  steady  ascent  which  they  made. 
A  river  was  sweeping  down  the  valley  like  that 
which  wiped  out  Johnstown  in  the  Conemaugh 
Valley  nearly  a  century  later.  Few  compre- 
hend the  appalling  power  of  a  great  volume 
of  water,  which  in  the  disaster  referred  to 
tossed  locomotives  about  as  if  they  were  so 
many  corks. 

The  moonlight  showed  the  muddy  torrent 
carrying  limbs,  trees  and  even  rocks,  tumbling 
and  rolling  together  in  one  fearful  swirl  down 
the  valley.  The  stream  was  already  more  than 
a  hundred  feet  wide,  and  gathered  width  and 
volume  with  terrifying  rapidity. 

In  a  few  minutes — though  it  seemed  ten 
times  as  long — boys  and  horses  paused  on  the 
crest  of  the  ridge.  They  were  now  fifty  feet 
higher  than  their  camp,  and  the  torrent  steadily 
pursued  them  until  within  a  dozen  paces  of 
where  they  stood.  If  it  climbed  that  interval 


J88  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

nothing  could  save  them.  They  watched  the 
rushing  river  for  a  time  in  silence. 

"Is  it  coming  any  higher! "  asked  Victor  in 
an  awed  voice. 

"I  think  it  is  creeping  up,  but  not  so  fast  as  at 
first. " 

"Won't  it  be  safer  to  keep  on  running?'' 

' '  No ;  we  shall  have  to  go  down  into  the  low- 
land beyond,  and  if  the  water  comes  over  this 
ridge  we  shall  be  caught." 

"And  if  it  does  that  we  shall  be  caught 
here." 

"It's  likely  to  pass  round  at  some  point 
above,  and  then  it  will  be  all  up  with  us — it  has 
done  so!"  added  the  startled  George. 

As  he  spoke  he  pointed  down  the  other  side 
of  the  slope  which  they  had  climbed.  He  was 
right ;  the  muddy  current  had  forked  above  and 
was  flowing  down  on  both  sides  of  them.  Boys 
and  horses  were  standing  on  an  elongated 
island  which  might  be  overflowed  at  any 
moment. 

The  destructive  cloudbursts  that  sometimes 
break  with  cyclonic  suddenness  in  the  West  are 
as  shortlived  as  they  are  violent.  It  is  impos- 
sible that  it  should  be  otherwise,  for  they  con- 


A  STARTLING  AWAKENING.  J89 

sist  simply  of  a  sudden  precipitation  or  fall  of 
an  enormous  mass  of  water  from  the  skies, 
which  naturally  hunts  with  the  utmost  swift- 
ness for  the  lowest  level.  That  found,  the 
frightful  flurry  is  speedily  over. 

It  was  with  unspeakable  relief  that  George 
and  Victor  Shelton  finally  saw  that  the  torrent 
had  ceased  to  climb  the  slope.  A  few  minutes 
later  they  uttered  a  prayer  of  thankfulness 
when  they  perceived  that  the  volume  was  dimin- 
ishing and  the  margin  of  the  torrent  was 
steadily  retreating  down  the  incline  again.  All 
danger  for  the  time  was  over. 

"How  is  it  that  Mul-tal-la  is  on  the  other 
side  of  the  valley  f "  asked  George. 

"I  don't  know.  He  left  camp  soon  after  you 
lay  down,  telling  me  he  wouldn't  be  gone  long. 
He  must  have  had  some  business  or  pleasure  to 
look  after.  I  thought  maybe  he  had  gone  to 
make  a  call  on  some  of  his  people.  It  was  lucky 
for  us  that  he  saw  what  was  coming  and  gave  us 
warning  in  time." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

SHOSHONE  CALLERS. 

/TT\HE  torrent  loosed  by  the  cloudburst 
steadily  grew  less  and  less,  and  at  the 
end  of  two  hours  the  stream  had  shrunk 
almost  to  its  former  insignificant  proportions. 
The  boys  might  have  returned  to  the  site  of 
the  camp  and  remained  in  safety  until  morn- 
ing, but  they  had  no  inclination  to  do  so. 
Indeed,  it  would  have  been  hard  to  identify  the 
spot,  for  the  grass  everywhere  lay  as  flat  as  if 
a  mountainous  roller  had  pressed  it  down. 
Here  and  there  could  be  dimly  seen  the  trees, 
some  shorn  of  their  limbs,  so  that  they  were  like 
so  many  logs,  twisted  and  pronged  stumps  and, 
strange  as  it  may  seem,  boulders  weighing  in 
some  instances  several  tons,  lay  where  they  had 
been  flung  by  the  raging  waters. 

When  no  doubt  remained  that  the  danger  was 
over,  the  bridles,  saddles  and  packs  were  again 
placed  on  the  ground  and  the  horses  set  free. 
It  was  impossible  to  start  another  fire,  since 

190 


SHOSHONE  CALLERS.  W 

no  fuel  was  obtainable,  and  the  brothers  sat  on 
the  ground,  wrapped  in  their  blankets  and  near 
enough  to  feel  their  mutual  warmth.  The 
shock  through  which  they  had  passed  drove 
away  all  inclination  to  sleep,  and  they  talked 
and  speculated  until  the  gray  light  of  morning 
glowed  in  the  east. 

Naturally  they  looked  for  the  return  of  the 
Blackfoot,  who  had  left  them  the  night  before. 
The  valley,  strewn  with  the  debris  of  the  flood, 
stretched  out  before  them,  and  they  gazed  up 
and  down  its  winding  extent  and  across  to  the 
corresponding  slope,  but  without  seeing  man 
or  animal.  Not  the  least  striking  feature  of  the 
scene  was  the  carcases  of  several  elks  and  ante- 
lopes, while  in  the  distance  was  recognized  the 
brown,  bulky  body  of  an  immense  bison  or  buf- 
falo. These  various  animals,  doubtless  with 
others  that  were  not  visible,  had  paid  the  pen- 
alty of  being  caught  in  the  irrestrainable  rush 
of  the  torrent. 

That  Mul-tal-la  had  met  with  any  mishap  was 
impossible,  for  it  was  he  who  discovered  the 
nature  of  the  peril  before  the  brothers  knew  of 
it.  The  same  recourse  was  at  his  command,  for 
all  he  had  to  do  was  to  make  for  the  higher  land, 


J92  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

where  he  would  be  beyond  reach  of  the  wrathful 
waters. 

But  the  sun  climbed  the  sky  and  the  longing, 
wandering  and  impatient  boys  saw  nothing  of 
their  friend.  Almost  directly  opposite  and  a 
fourth  of  a  mile  away  was  a  mass  of  boulders, 
some  of  which  had  apparently  been  brought 
down  by  the  torrent. 

"It  seems  to  me,"  said  Victor,  "that  some- 
thing is  moving  near  those  rocks.  Try  your 
spyglass  on  them,  George." 

A  minute's  scrutiny  was  enough  to  show  that 
Victor  was  right. 

"There  are  several  Indians,"  said  George, 
still  holding  the  glass  in  place.  "They  seem 
to  be  looking  at  us." 

"Mul-tal-la  must  be  with  them.  I  suppose 
he  is  telling  about  his  two  companions." 

"I  don't  make  him  out,  for  the  rocks  inter- 
fere. You  try  it." 

He  passed  the  glass  to  Victor,  and,  as  the 
brothers  stood  side  by  side,  the  second  leveled 
the  instrument  at  the  group.  At  the  same 
moment  the  red  men  came  from  behind  the 
boulders  and  moved  down  the  slope  in  the 
direction  of  the  boys,  as  if  they  meant  to  call 


SHOSHONE  CALLERS.  J93 

on  them.  All  were  afoot,  and  two  were  of 
shorter  stature  than  the  others. 

With  the  help  of  the  glass  Victor  Shelton 
gained  a  clear  view  of  the  faces  of  the  whole 
party,  who  were  dressed  much  the  same  as  the 
Blackfoot. 

"Mul-tal-la  isn't  there, "  said  the  surprised 
lad.  ' 1 1  don 't  understand  that. ' ' 

"He  can't  be  far  off.  He's  likely  to  show 
up  pretty  soon.  Shall  we  wait  for  those 
Indians,  for  they  mean  to  visit  us — that's  cer- 
tain?" 

"I  don't  see  how  we  can  help  ourselves.  If 
we  start  to  leave  it  will  look  as  if  we  are  afraid 
of  them,  and,  though  they  are  on  foot,  they  can 
overhaul  us  without  trouble.  No;  let's  stand 
our  ground.  I  don't  believe  they  mean  any 
harm,  but  I  should  feel  a  good  deal  easier  in 
mind  if  Mul-tal-la  was  on  hand.  It  is  odd 
that  he  and  Deerfoot  should  be  away  at  the 
time  we  are  most  likely  to  need  them." 

The  strangers  came  straight  forward,  and 
were  soon  so  near  that  every  face  was  clearly 
seen  without  the  aid  of  the  glass.  The  brothers 
learned  that  what  they  suspected  was  true :  two 
of  the  Indians  were  boys,  perhaps  a  little  older 

18 


J94  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

than  our  young  friends,  and  one  of  them  was 
certainly  taller.  All  were  armed  with  bows  and 
arrows,  their  dress  being  similar,  as  has  been 
already  said,  to  that  worn  by  the  Blackfoot. 

George  and  Victor  felt  anything  but  com- 
fortable. Previous  experience  warranted  the 
hope  that  the  Indians  meant  no  harm,  but  for 
the  time  the  youths  could  not  be  certain  on  that 
point.  While  the  strangers  probably  would 
have  acted  friendly  had  either  the  Shawanoe 
or  Blackfoot  been  with  the  lads,  it  was  doubtful 
how  it  would  be  when  they  found  the  two  alone. 
Place  a  party  of  lawless  persons,  no  matter 
what  their  race,  in  a  tempting  situation,  where 
they  have  no  fear  of  any  consequences  of 
wrong-doing,  and  they  may  be  depended  upon 
to  do  wrong. 

Had  the  boys  been  certain  that  mischief 
impended  they  would  have  warned  the  party 
off,  but  doubting  and  puzzled  as  to  what  was 
best  to  do,  they  waved  their  hands  in  token  of 
good-will  and  awaited  their  coming  as  if 
nothing  in  the  world  could  please  them  more. 

The  nearer  the  Indians  approached  the  less 
the  boys  liked  their  looks.  Their  dress  was 
shabby  and  their  faces  ugly.  The  taller  of  the 


SHOSHONE  CALLERS.  J95 

dusky  youths  had  daubed  his  face  with  paint  at 
some  remote  period  in  the  past,  and  enough 
remained  to  add  to  his  repulsive  looks,  which 
were  not  diminished  when  his  broad  mouth 
expanded  into  a  grin.  His  companion  was  not 
quite  so  tall,  and  was  of  broader  and  huskier 
frame. 

The  least  repellent  of  the  three  warriors  dis- 
played some  superiority  in  dress  to  the  others. 
The  hunting  shirt  had  more  fringes  at  the  bot- 
tom; the  dilapidated  moccasins  showed  a  few 
more  beads,  and  he  had  three  stained  eagle 
feathers  pointing  upward  from  his  crown,  while 
neither  of  the  others  sported  more  than  two. 
From  these  facts  and  a  certain  deference  shown 
by  the  couple,  George  and  Victor  believed  this 
fellow  was  a  chief  among  his  people.  Further- 
more, our  friends  were  convinced  that  this  par- 
ticular redskin  was  the  father  of  the  boys,  and 
I  may  add  that  in  both  suppositions  the  brothers 
were  right. 

"Howdy?"  grinned  the  leader,  who  was  a 
pace  or  two  in  advance  of  the  others.  As  he 
spoke  he  extended  his  right  hand  to  George,  his 
long  bow  being  in  the  left  hand. 

"Howdy?"  replied  George,  taking  the  palm 


1%  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

of  the  other.  "I  am  glad  to  see  my  brothers," 
he  hypocritically  added. 

It  was  quickly  apparent  that  none  of  the 
Indians  could  speak  English.  The  salutation  of 
the  leader  was  the  only  word  he  knew.  He 
made  a  response  to  George 's  greeting,  but  it 
was  unintelligible  to  the  boys.  He  said  some- 
thing more,  and,  releasing  his  hand,  reached 
out  and  took  George's  rifle  from  his  grasp. 

It  was  done  so  deftly  that  the  weapon  was 
gone  before  the  owner  knew  it. 

"Why  did  you  let  him  have  that?"  asked  the 
resentful  Victor. 

"He  took  it  before  I  had  any  idea  of  what 
he  was  after.  Maybe  he  only  wants  to  look 
over  it." 

The  chief  held  up  the  gun,  inspected  the  ham- 
mer and  trigger,  squinted  one  eye  down  the 
barrel  (and  Victor  Shelton  never  wished  more 
fervently  that  the  rifle  would  go  off),  pretended 
to  aim  at  some  target  in  the  distance,  and  then, 
instead  of  returning  the  weapon  to  the  owner, 
passed  it  to  one  of  his  warriors. 

He  next  looked  at  Victor,  and  took  two  or 
three  steps  toward  him.  The  boy  retreated, 
shaking  his  head  and  griping  his  weapon  with 
both  hands. 


SHOSHONE  CALLERS.  197 

"  There  '11  be  a  fight  before  you  get  this,  you 
old  scamp!"  replied  the  lad,  compressing  his 
lips  and  showing  his  anger  so  plainly  that  no 
one  could  mistake. 

The  dusky  countenance  of  the  chief  took  on 
a  dangerous  glint  and  his  black  eyes  twinkled 
threateningly. 

"Better  let  him  have  it,"  said  his  brother. 
"There's  no  help  for  it." 

"He  doesn't  get  it  without  a  fight.  I  won't 
stand  like  a  lamb  and  let  him  rob  me." 

The  consequences  must  have  been  serious  had 
not  Mul-tal-la,  the  Blackfoot,  put  in  an  appear- 
ance at  this  critical  moment.  He  came  over 
the  ridge  from  behind  the  boys,  proving  that  he 
had  crossed  the  devastated  valley  some  time 
before. 

All  the  strangers  turned  their  faces  toward 
the  new  arrival,  and  it  was  apparent  from  the 
expression  on  the  face  of  the  chief  that  he 
recognized  Mul-tal-la.  They  had  met  when  the 
Blackfoot  passed  through  this  region  the  year 
before,  though  none  of  the  other  four  knew 
him. 

The  chief  seemed  really  glad  to  meet  the 
wanderer.  They  greeted  each  other  and  talked 


W  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES, 

for  several  minutes,  as  if  they  had  not  the 
slightest  knowledge  of  the  presence  of  the 
others. 

"They  act  as  if  they  belonged  to  the  same 
tribe, "  said  George,  who,  like  his  brother,  was 
closely  watching  the  couple.  "I  wonder  if 
these  folks  are  Blackfeet." 

"I  don't  think  so.  They  are  not  dressed 
quite  the  same.  They  look  different,  and  the 
home  of  the  Blackfeet  is  a  good  many  miles  to 
the  north." 

Victor  was  in  a  combative  mood.  He  could 
not  get  over  his  anger  because  of  the  robbery 
they  had  suffered,  not  to  mention  the  second 
one  that  impended.  He  scowled  at  the  chief 
and  then  glared  at  the  youths  standing  by  them- 
selves. The  shorter  looked  back  and  grinned 
threateningly. 

"I'd  like  to  have  a  set-to  with  that  imp,"  said 
Victor  to  his  brother.  "Did  you  ever  see  a 
meaner-looking  thing?" 

And  to  show  his  contempt  Victor  deliberately 
doubled  his  fist  and  shook  it  at  the  fellow,  who 
grinned  and  placed  his  hand  threateningly  on 
the  haft  of  his  knife  at  his  girdle.  When  mat- 
ters looked  ominous  it  was  the  lot  of  Mul-tal-la 


SHOSHONE  CALLERS.  W 

to  interfere  again  in  the  interests  of  peace. 
Turning  abruptly,  he  said  to  the  boys : 

"This  Indian  is  Black  Elk,  chief  of  the  Sho- 
shones.  Their  warriors  sometimes  visit  the 
Blackfeet,  and  he  and  I  talk  each  other's  tongue. 
Those  are  his  boys,  Young  Elk  and  Antelope." 

"What  does  he  mean  by  taking  George's  gun 
from  him?  He  was  about  to  rob  me  of  mine 
when  you  came  up,  but  he  won't  get  it  without 
a  row." 

"Let  not  my  brother  be  hasty,"  said  the 
Blackfoot  soothingly.  "Black  Elk  has  thou- 
sands of  warriors  and  can  do  as  he  wills  with 
us,  but  he  is  a  friend  of  the  Blackfeet ;  I  stayed 
for  several  days  and  nights  with  him  when  on 
my  way  through  here  a  year  ago.  Because  he 
is  a  friend,  he  will  not  do  what  he  meant  to  do. 
He  says  you  shall  make  contest  with  his  two 
sons,  and  the  two  that  beat  shall  own  the  guns. 
Are  you  willing?" 

"Nothing  will  suit  me  better,  if  the  fight  is 
to  be  a  fair  one,"  was  the  prompt  reply  of 
Victor. 

"I  am  ready,"  added  George;  "but  can  you 
trust  these  people?" 

"Mul-tal-la  does  not  know  about  the  others, 


200  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

but  what  Black  Elk  says  he  will  do,  that  he 
will  do." 

"Well,  what  is  his  plan! " 

The  Blackfoot  now  turned  and  talked  for 
some  minutes  with  Black  Elk,  one  of  the  chiefs 
of  the  Shoshones.  Then  the  chief  called  his 
sons  to  him,  and  there  was  more  talk.  The 
dusky  youths  looked  at  the  boys  and  grinned 
in  a  way  that  showed  they  were  pleased  over 
the  prospect  and  counted  upon  making  short 
work  of  the  palefaced  intruders. 

"I'm  aching  to  get  at  that  chunky  chap,"  said 
Victor,  who  for  some  reason  had  taken  an 
intense  dislike  of  the  ill-favored  youth. 

"Maybe  you  will  ache  more  after  you  are 
through  with  him.  You  must  keep  cool,  Victor, 
or  it  will  go  hard  with  you. ' 9 

Mul-tal-la  now  addressed  himself  to  the  boys. 

*  '  Black  Elk  has  made  these  rules :  My 
brother,"  indicating  George,  "shall  wrestle 
with  Antelope — he  is  the  tall  one — and,  if  he 
throws  Antelope,  then  the  gun  shall  be  given 
back  to  my  brother ;  but  if  Antelope  throws  him, 
then  he  shall  keep  the  gun  of  my  brother." 

Mul-tal-la  was  slyer  than  his  friends  had  sup- 
posed. He  had  been  in  the  company  of  the 


SHOSHONE  CALLERS.  201 

youths  long  enough  to  learn  that  George  Shel- 
ton  was  the  superior  of  his  brother  in  wrestling, 
and  indeed  possessed  no  little  skill  in  that 
respect.  The  Blackfoot  was  sanguine  that  the 
white  youth  could  overturn  Antelope.  And  yet 
he  was  by  no  means  certain,  for  the  Indian  was 
taller  and  showed  that  he  was  strong  and  agile. 
Many  red  men  pride  themselves  on  their  skill 
in  wrestling,  and  have  good  grounds  for  doing 
so.  Mul-tal-la  warned  George  of  this  and 
impressed  upon  him  not  to  throw  away  the 
slightest  advantage  he  could  gain  from  the  very 
outset. 

To  prove  that  Black  Elk  meant  to  be  fair,  he 
compelled  his  son  to  lay  his  knife  on  the  ground 
beside  his  bow.  The  youth  carried  no  toma- 
hawk or  other  weapon,  and  to  reciprocate, 
George  handed  his  knife  to  Mul-tal-la. 

"I  suppose  I  am  to  wrestle  that  other  mon- 
key," muttered  Victor,  scowling  at  the  youth. 

"No!"  replied  the  Blackfoot,  with  a  grin; 
"you  and  he  are  to  fight." 

"Good!  that  suits  me  to  a  dot!"  exclaimed 
the  pleased  Victor. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

A  QUESTION  OF  SKILL  AND  COURAGE. 

THE  situation  had  taken  on  a  most  sin- 
gular phase.  The  Shelton  brothers 
were  waiting  on  the  crest  of  the  ridge 
for  the  return  of  their  Blackfoot  friend,  when 
in  a  brief  time  they  were  called  upon  to  enter 
into  a  brief  struggle  with  two  Sho shone  or 
Snake  Indians  for  the  possession  of  their  own 
property. 

Withal,  the  paleface  youths  were  eager  for 
the  contest.  This  was  especially  true  of  Victor, 
who,  as  he  expressed  it,  was  aching  for  a  set-to 
with  the  broad,  strongly  built  youth,  toward 
whom  he  had  taken  an  intense  dislike  from  the 
first. 

The  arrangements  were  made  by  the  chief 
Black  Elk  and  Mul-tal-la,  the  two  warriors 
standing  as  immobile  as  if  hundreds  of  miles 
removed  from  the  spot,  though  it  is  not  to  be 
supposed  they  were  not  interested.  Their 
leader  and  the  Blackfoot  talked  again  for  two 

202 


A  QUESTION  OF  SKILL  AND  COURAGE.        203 

or  three  minutes,  while  George  and  Victor  stood 
side  by  side,  awaiting  the  test.  The  rifle  of  one 
was  still  held  by  a  Shoshone,  while  Victor  clung 
to  his  own  weapon. 

"I  don't  give  it  up  till  I  have  to,"  grimly 
remarked  the  lad.  "One  of  them  has  yours, 
and  Mul-tal-la  shall  take  charge  of  mine;  he'll 
act  fair,  but  I  don't  believe  any  of  the  others 
will.  George,  if  you  don't  throw  that  copper- 
colored  scamp  you're  no  brother  of  mine,  and 
you'll  have  to  settle  with  me," 

"I'll  do  my  best — I  promise  you  that.  Don't 
forget  that  you  have  a  tough  job  before  you." 

Mul-tal-la  addressed  the  brothers : 

"My  brother  George  will  wrestle  with  Ante- 
lope first;  then  my  brother  Victor  will  see 
whether  Young  Elk  is  stronger  than  he." 

"How  many  falls  are  we  to  have!"  asked 
George. 

1 '  Only  one.  If  he  lays  you  on  your  back  you 
must  give  up  your  gun  to  the  Antelope.  You 
will  not  have  another  chance,  but  will  have  to 
go  without  a  rifle  till  you  can  get  one  somewhere 
else." 

"In  all  the  wrestling  matches  I  ever  saw  it 
was  the  best  two  out  of  three  falls.  The  fellow 
may  play  some  trick  on  me." 


204  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

"You  mustn't  let  him,"  said  Victor,  impa- 
tiently; "you  know  as  many  tricks  as  he. 
Bemember  I've  got  my  eye  on  you,  and  if  he 
beats  you,  you'll  have  to  take  a  turn  with  me.'' 

"Save  your  strength  for  yourself,"  replied 
George.  "Well,  I'm  ready,"  he  added,  ad- 
dressing his  dusky  friend. 

The  spectators  formed  a  sort  of  ring,  and 
the  youths  advanced  to  the  middle,  each  warily 
watching  the  other  and  on  the  alert  for  the  first 
advantage. 

The  wrestling  bouts  of  the  early  days  were 
not  conducted  as  in  these  times.  The  rule  was 
for  the  contestants  to  take  their  places  with 
their  sides  touching,  and  each  with  his  arm 
around  the  waist  or  neck  of  the  other.  The 
same  style  still  prevails  in  many  places  remote 
from  towns.  When  thus  interlocked  the  con- 
testants began  the  struggle,  twisting,  bending, 
straining  and  tugging  with  might  and  main  and 
with  all  the  skill  the  two  could  bring  to  their 
aid.  The  spectacle  of  wrestlers  standing  face 
to  face  and  using  their  toes  to  feint  and  tap 
each  other,  most  of  the  motions  being  simul- 
taneous, like  two  fighting  chickens,  while  watch- 
ing a  chance  to  catch  the  other  unawares,  was 
formerly  unknown  in  this  country. 


A  QUESTION  OF  SKILL  AND  COURAGE.        205 

It  will  be  noted  that  in  the  old  style,  provided 
both  were  right  or  left-handed,  one  of  the 
wrestlers  had  a  manifest  advantage,  since  his 
stronger  side  was  turned  toward  the  weaker 
side  of  the  other.  Among  boys  this  advantage 
was  often  decided  by  lot,  or  by  the  first  shout 
of  his  claim  by  one  of  the  contestants.  The 
handicap  served  also  to  even  matters  when 
there  was  a  marked  superiority  of  strength  or 
skill  on  the  part  of  one  youth. 

George  Shelton  was  right-handed,  like  most 
boys,  and  he  determined  not  to  yield  that  point 
to  the  other.  It  speedily  developed,  however, 
that  the  Antelope  was  left-handed,  for  he  vol- 
untarily placed  his  left  arm  over  the  shoulders 
of  George — something  he  would  not  have  done 
had  his  right  side  been  the  stronger. 

Instead  of  placing  his  arm  under  that  of  his 
foe,  George  Shelton  slipped  it  on  top,  though 
not  much  was  gained  thereby.  He  made  up 
his  mind  that  if  there  was  to  be  any  strangling 
done  he  would  do  his  share.  Thus  they  stood, 
with  every  nerve  braced  and  every  sense  alert, 
waiting  for  the  first  test. 

The  grip  of  the  Antelope,  who,  it  will  be 
remembered,  was  taller  than  George,  suddenly 


206  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

tightened  and  he  bore  our  young  friend  back- 
ward. But  the  latter  kept  his  feet  and  braced 
for  the  struggle  to  fling  the  other  forward  on 
his  face,  which  was  made  the  next  instant. 
Then  the  seesawing  went  on  for  several  sec- 
onds and  with  the  same  alternating  abruptness 
as  before,  when  the  young  Indian  put  forth  his 
utmost  power  to  lift  the  other  off  his  feet.  Had 
he  succeeded,  he  would  have  had  no  trouble  in 
flinging  him  forward  on  his  back  or  face,  for 
a  person  can  do  little  when  kicking  in  the  air 
with  his  feet  clear  of  the  earth. 

George  defeated  his  enemy  by  also  lifting. 
With  both  straining  in  the  same  manner  neither 
could  succeed,  and  the  weight  of  both  remained 
on  the  ground.  Then  the  Antelope  ceased  his 
effort,  with  the  intention  of  trying  some  "lock" 
of  which  the  white  boy  knew  nothing. 

But  this  was  the  opportunity  for  which 
George  Shelton  was  waiting.  In  the  instant 
of  the  cessation  by  his  antagonist,  the  watchful 
lad  suddenly  put  forth  every  ounce  of  strength 
and  lifted  the  young  Indian  clear.  He  strove 
desperately  to  regain  his  footing,  but  his 
shabby  moccasins  vainly  trod  the  air,  and 
before  he  could  recover  his  grip  George  hurled 


A  QUESTION  OF  SKILL  AND  COURAGE.        207 

him  violently  forward  on  his  side.  He  struct 
the  ground  with  a  shock  that  made  it  tremble. 
George  lay  across  his  body,  from  which  the 
breath  was  driven. 

Never  was  fairer  fall  seen.  The  young 
Shoshone  was  defeated  so  decisively  that,  had 
there  been  an  official  umpire  or  referee,  no 
appeal  could  have  been  made  to  him. 

"Good!  Good!"  exclaimed  the  delighted 
Victor,  dancing  with  delight  and  clapping  his 
hands.  "I'll  own  you  for  my  brother,  George. 
I  couldn't  have  done  better." 

Mul-tal-la  grinned,  for  he  could  not  conceal 
his  pleasure.  The  spectators,  including  Young 
Elk,  looked  savage,  and  the  brow  of  Black  Elk 
was  like  a  thundercloud.  No  one  spoke,  but  all 
must  have  thought  volumes. 

Having  thrown  his  rival,  George  Shelton  lay 
across  him  for  a  few  moments,  then  leaped  up, 
sprang  back  several  paces,  and  turning  to  Mul- 
tal-la,  said: 

"Tell  him,  if  he  wants  it,  I'll  give  him  another 
chance." 

"No;  my  brother  has  won  his  gun." 

At  the  same  moment  Black  Elk  reached  to 
the  warrior  holding  the  rifle,  and,  taking  it  from 


208  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

him,  strode  to  where  George  Shelton  was  stand- 
ing and  handed  it  back  without  a  word.  Thus 
far  the  chief  was  certainly  disposed  to  act 
fairly. 

" Thank  you  for  giving  me  what  is  mine," 
said  the  exultant  youth,  bowing  so  low  and 
smiling  so  broadly  that  the  chief  must  have 
understood  he  was  receiving  thanks,  even 
though  none  of  the  words  was  intelligible. 

"Now,  Victor, "  added  George,  turning  to  his 
brother  as  he  stepped  beside  him,  "I'll  say  to 
you  what  you  said  to  me — that  is,  that  if  you 
don't  get  the  best  of  that  grinning  imp,  who  is 
eager  to  pummel  you,  you're  no  brother  of 
mine." 

While  the  discomfited  wrestler  slouched  back 
beside  his  father,  who  acted  as  if  he  was 
ashamed  of  him,  the  other  son  fairly  bounded 
into  the  arena.  He  stood  grinning,  with  fists 
doubled,  and  manifestly  impatient  for  the  sport 
to  begin.  To  hurry  his  foe  he  twisted  his  face 
into  an  insulting  grimace. 

No  one  knew  Victor's  quick  temper  better 
than  his  brother.  It  was  that  which  caused  him 
his  only  misgiving. 

"Victor,"  said  he,  with  much  earnestness,  "if 


A  QUESTION  OF  SKILL  AND  COURAGE.        209 

you  don't  keep  cool  and  have  all  your  wits 
about  you,  you'll  get  whipped.  He's  stronger 
than  his  brother,  and  you  have  a  harder  job 
before  you  than  I  did.  Eemember — KEEP 
COOL!" 

Now,  Victor  himself  was  fully  aware  of  his 
infirmity,  but,  like  many  thus  afflicted,  he  often 
yielded  to  it.  At  the  very  opening  of  the  bout 
he  came  within  a  hair  of  falling  a  victim  to  his 
own  impetuous  temper.  Neither  he  nor  the  Sho- 
shone  displayed  any  of  the  scientific  points 
which  are  seen  to-day  when  two  professionals 
face  each  other  in  the  ring,  for  they  had  not 
had  any  instruction.  You  would  have  said 
the  pose  of  both  was  wrong,  for,  instead  of  hold- 
ing the  right  hand  across  and  in  front  of  the 
chest  for  purposes  of  parrying,  while  the 
"leading"  was  done  with  the  left,  they  stood 
with  fists  thrust  out  and  side  by  side,  but  both 
balanced  themselves  well  on  their  feet,  and 
were  on  the  watch  for  an  opening. 

Victor  looked  straight  into  the  dusky  face 
and  felt  a  thrill  of  anger  when  the  Shoshone 
indulged  in  another  tantalizing  grimace. 
Young  Elk  made  several  quick  feints,  and  then, 
with  surprising  quickness,  smote  the  cheek  of 

14 


210  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

Victor  with  the  flat  of  his  hand,  and  leaped 
back  and  grinned  at  him. 

The  blow  set  Victor's  blood  aflame,  and,  for- 
getting caution,  he  rushed  upon  the  other,  only, 
however,  to  receive  a  second  blow  which  almost 
carried  him  off  his  feet.  It  was  directly  on 
the  mouth  and  started  the  blood.  But  it  undid 
the  mischief  of  the  slap  given  a  moment  before. 
Our  young  friend  suddenly  realized  that  he  had 
no  slight  task  before  him,  and  he  heeded  the 
words  of  his  brother,  who  again  called  to  him  to 
keep  cool.  He  mastered  his  temper  and  did  a 
clever  thing  by  pretending  to  be  scared.  When 
Young  Elk  carefully  advanced  he  retreated,  and 
hurriedly  glanced  over  his  shoulder,  as  if  look- 
ing for  a  place  of  refuge. 

The  Indian  was  deceived  and  grew  confi- 
dent. He  came  forward  and  drew  back  his 
right  fist  ready  to  strike,  while  Victor  con- 
tinued cautiously  to  give  ground.  Finally  he 
braced  and  awaited  the  attack.  The  closed 
hand  of  the  Shoshone  shot  forward,  but  the  blow 
was  eluded  by  an  instant  recoil  of  the  head  for 
an  inch  or  two.  Victor  felt  the  wind  of  the 
blow  on  his  nose,  so  close  came  the  fist  of  his 
foe. 


A  QUESTION  OF  SKILL  AND  COURAGE*         2\\ 

Then  with  astonishing  quickness  he  concen- 
trated his  strength  in  his  good  right  arm  and 
landed  straight  and  true  upon  the  cheek  of  the 
other,  who  was  sent  backward  and  reeled  to 
one  knee,  but  was  up  again  in  a  flash. 

It  became  clear  that  Young  Elk  was  afflicted 
with  as  quick  a  temper  as  vexed  the  white 
youth,  for  he  made  a  blind,  headlong  rush,  as 
if  to  carry  everything  before  him.  As  he 
dashed  on,  his  arms  sawed  the  air  like  a  wind- 
mill. Victor,  never  more  cool  and  self-pos- 
sessed, parried  for  -a  moment  or  two  until 
another  opening  offered,  when  he  drove  his  fist 
again  into  the  flaming  countenance  with  a  force 
that  sent  his  antagonist  flat  upon  his  back.  He 
had  scored  a  clean  knockdown. 

But  the  Shoshone  was  not  yet  vanquished. 
He  bounded  to  his  feet  as  if  made  of  rubber, 
and  with  more  coolness  than  before  advanced 
again  upon  his  antagonist.  Each  was  now  in 
a  mental  state  to  do  full  justice  to  his  own 
prowess.  Several  minutes  were  spent  in 
"sparring  for  an  opening/'  but  Victor  Shelton 
quickly  proved  he  was  superior  in  skill.  'He 
dodged  and  parried  several  blows,  and,  when 
he  landed  again,  it  was  the  most  effective  stroke 


212  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

yet  done.  He  delivered  his  fist  accurately  upon 
the  jaw  of  the  grinning  youth,  who  again  went 
down. 

Victor  sprang  forward  and  stood  over  him, 
waiting  for  the  Sho shone  to  rise  that  he  might 
give  him  the  finishing  blow.  Young  Elk  lay 
as  if  "taking  the  count."  He  was  dazed  for 
the  moment  by  the  terrific  blows  he  had 
received,  and  all  the  fight  was  knocked  out  of 
him.  He  looked  up  at  the  young  gladiator,  then 
rose,  and,  instead  of  facing  him,  turned  and  ran 
at  full  speed  down  the  ridge. 

The  amazed  Victor  took  two  or  three  steps 
in  pursuit,  but  immediately  saw  that  he  was  not 
the  equal  of  the  other  in  fleetness,  and  drew 
back.  The  exasperated  chief  shouted  to  his  son 
to  return,  but  he  was  too  panic-stricken  to  obey, 
and  continued  running. 

Victor  was  thrown  into  wild  rage  by  his 
disappointment.  He  was  not  yet  through  with 
his  foe — though  it  would  seem  that  he  ought 
to  have  been — and  he  wheeled  around,  panting, 
and  looking  for  some  one  upon  whom  to  vent 
his  wrath. 

"What  are  you  gaping  at?" 

The  question  was  addressed  to  the  Antelope, 


A  QUESTION  OF  SKILL  AND  COURAGE.        2J3 

standing  bewildered  and  mystified  by  the  whirl- 
wind rush  of  events.  Before  he  could  answer, 
if  he  had  been  disposed  to  do  so,  Victor  drove 
his  fist  into  the  partly  painted  face  and,  topple^ 
the  owner  over  on  his  back.  He  was  heard 
to  grunt  as  he  struck  the  ground,  and,  hastily 
clambering  to  his  feet,  he  too  turned  and  fled 
after  his  still  running  brother  as  if  death  were 
at  his  heels. 

"I'll  fight  you,  if  you  want  it,"  called  Victor, 
striding  in  front  of  the  chief,  who  probably  did 
not  understand  his  meaning.  "  Fetch  on  all 
the  Shoshones  in  the  country,  and  I'll  tumble 
them  on  top  of  one  another. ' ' 

But  George  Shelton  and  Mul-tal-la  saw  the 
moment  had  come  to  interfere.  The  latter 
hastily  stepped  up  to  the  lad  and  laid  a  restrain- 
ing hand  on  his  shoulder.  George  did  the 
same. 

"Come,  Victor,"  he  said,  "you  have  done 
enough ;  you  have  won  your  gun,  and  now  don 't 
spoil  everything  by  your  foolishness." 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

WIRELESS  TELEGRAPHY. 

LET  us  do  justice  to  Black  Elk,  chief  of 
the  Shoshones,  who  acted  like  a  true 
sportsman.  He  had  witnessed  the  dis- 
comfiture of  his  sons,  and  could  not  conceal  his 
disgust  and  exasperation.  Little  doubt  that 
soon  after  the  incidents  described  he  "settled" 
with  his  heirs,  not  so  much  because  of  their 
overthrow,  but  because  of  the  cowardice  they 
had  shown.  Courage  with  the  red  men,  no  less 
than  with  our  own  race,  is  a  cardinal  virtue,  as 
the  lack  of  it  is  an  unpardonable  sin. 

Victor  Shelton  allowed  his  brother  to  lead 
him  away  from  his  threatening  pose  in  front 
of  the  chieftain  of  the  red  men.  He  saw  the 
rashness  of  his  last  act,  and  hoped  the  leader 
would  overlook  it.  And  Black  Elk  not  only  did 
that,  but  he  did  more.  He  deliberately  strode 
across  to  Victor,  offered  his  hand,  and  said 
something,  which  Mul-tal-la  interpreted: 

"He  says  my  brother  is  a  brave  youth;  he  is 

214 


VIRELESS  TELEGRAPHY.  215 

the  master  of  his  sons ;  he  would  be  glad  to  adopt 
you  and  have  you  live  with  him  as  the  one  who, 
when  he  dies,  shall  become  the  leading  chief 
of  his  tribe,  which  numbers  many  hundred 
warriors. 

"  Great  Caesar !"  exclaimed  the  astonished 
Victor.  ' '  Give  him  my  thanks,  but  tell  him  the 
thing  can't  be  thought  of." 

Black  Elk  was  so  pleased  with  the  boys  that 
he  still  urged  Mul-tal-la  to  go  with  them  to  his 
village  and  stay  for  a  long  time.  The  Blackf oot 
finally  convinced  the'  chief  that  being  on  his 
return  to  his  own  home,  from  which  he  had 
been  absent  many  moons,  it  would  not  do  to 
linger  on  the  road.  He  had  sad  news  to  carry 
to  his  people  and  to  the  relatives  of  the  com- 
panion who  had  met  his  death  in  the  East.  He 
would  be  blamed  if  he  delayed  in  bearing  the 
sorrowful  message  to  them. 

So  finally  the  two  parties  separated.  Black 
Elk  shook  hands  with  each  of  the  three,  and  the 
grim  warriors  came  forward  and  did  the  same. 
Then  the  Shoshones  passed  down  the  slope  and 
headed  toward  the  rocks  on  the  other  side  of 
the  valley,  where  George  and  Victor  Shelton 
first  caught  sight  of  them. 


2J6  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES, 

The  horses  being  ready,  our  friends  mounted 
and  started  forward  again.  Their  course  was 
a  little  to  the  east  of  the  range  through  which 
they  would  soon  have  to  force  their  way  in 
order  to  reach  the  Blackfoot  country.  Mul- 
tal-la  explained  that  he  had  a  pass  in  mind, 
which  was  a  day's  ride  away,  and  probably 
would  not  be  entered  before  the  following 
morning.  It  will  be  remembered  that  our 
friends  had  partaken  of  no  food  since  the  pre- 
vious evening.  None  referred  to  it,  for  they 
could  well  wait  until  the  middle  or,  if  necessary, 
until  the  close  of  the  day. 

The  weather  continued  favorable.  Summer 
had  come,  and  in  the  lower  portions  of  the 
country  the  heat  at  midday  was  often  oppres- 
sive. Mosquitoes  had  begun  to  annoy  the 
travelers,  who  might  count  upon  being  plagued 
by  them  for  the  rest  of  their  journey.  These 
pests  are  more  unbearable  in  cold  regions, 
during  the  brief  summer  season,  than  in  the 
temperate  regions  of  a  country. 

The  sun  shone  clear  and  strong,  but  the  three 
were  already  upon  elevated  ground,  and  the 
nearness  of  the  mountains  doubtless  helped  to 
cool  the  air.  At  intervals  they  came  upon  the 


VIRELESS  TELEGRAPHY.  2*7 

interesting  creatures  peculiar  to  the  West  and 
known  as  prairie  dogs,  their  dwellings  con- 
sisting of  holes  burrowed  in  the  ground,  often 
covering  acres  in  extent,  beside  which  the  little 
animals  would  sit  and  gaze  at  the  horsemen 
as  they  filed  past.  Sometimes  they  emitted 
queer  whistling  noises,  and,  upon  observing 
anything  suspicious  on  the  part  of  the  travelers, 
whisked  into  these  openings  and  vanished  in  a 
twinkling.  Then  they  could  be  seen  peeping 
out,  and,  when  the  seeming  danger  had  passed, 
they  clambered  back  fo  their  posts,  as  lively  and 
watchful  as  ever.  To-day  the  prairie  dogs 
have  become  so  harmful  to  agriculture  in  some 
parts  of  the  West  that  the  problem  of  extir- 
pating them  is  under  consideration  and  is  a 
serious  one. 

The  Blackfoot  as  usual  kept  his  place  at  the 
front,  while  the  brothers  rode  side  by  side,  talk- 
ing when  disposed,  and  sometimes  going  for 
miles  without  exchanging  more  than  a  few  sen- 
tences. This  conversation  revealed  the  fact 
that  both  did  not  feel  entirely  at  ease  regard- 
ing Black  Elk  and  his  Shoshones.  At  the  time 
of  which  I  am  writing  this  tribe  numbered  more 
than  five  thousand  people,  and  was  one  of  the 


2J8  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

most  important  in  the  West.  Their  main  vil- 
lages lay  to  the  westward  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tain range,  about  the  headwaters  of  the  stream 
now  known  as  South  Fork  of  the  Lewis  Eiver. 
With  so  many  warriors,  it  was  not  strange  that 
some  of  their  hunting  parties  often  came 
through  the  passes  in  the  Eockies  and  roamed 
over  the  level  country  on  the  east.  Since  they 
were  generally  provided  with  horses,  it  seemed 
singular  that  Black  Elk  and  his  companions 
were  on  foot.  Mul-tal-la  said  beyond  a  doubt 
all  owned  animals,  which  were  at  no  great 
distance. 

When  the  Blackfoot  was  told  by  the  boys  of 
their  fears,  they  were  surprised  to  find  that  he 
shared  them,  though  not  to  the  same  extent. 
He  explained  that  for  some  time  to  come  the 
chieftain's  principal  emotion  would  be  that  of 
exasperation  against  his  sons  for  the  sorry 
showing  they  had  made  against  the  two  white 
youths.  They  were  sure  to  receive  punishment 
at  his  hand  for  running  away  tjiat  would  last 
them  a  lifetime. 

But  after  the  first  burst  of  passion  was  over, 
Black  Elk  would  begin  to  think  of  the  two  white 
lads  that  had  brought  this  disgrace  upon  the 


WIRELESS  TELEGRAPHY.  2J9 

royal  household,  and,  as  he  mused,  his  resent- 
ment would  kindle  toward  them.  All  the 
Indians  not  unnaturally  looked  upon  every 
white  man  as  an  intruder.  Though  history 
shows  that  the  aborigines  welcomed  their 
visitors,  yet  the  action  of  the  latter  was  so  cruel 
that  the  friendship  of  the  red  men  was  turned 
to  enmity.  Thus  most  of  the  trappers  and 
hunters  who  ventured  into  the  West  and  North- 
west took  their  lives  in  their  hands,  and  many 
never  came  back  from  the  wild  solitudes.  The 
story  of  the  settlement  of  our  country  is  a  con- 
tinuous one  of  outrage  and  massacre,  in  which 
the  fault  lay  almost  always  at  the  door  of  the 
palefaces. 

Black  Elk  could  not  fail  to  feel  resentful  over 
the  fact  that  the  disgrace  of  his  sons  had  been 
inflicted  by  members  of  that  hated  race.  It  was 
quite  likely,  therefore,  that,  repenting  the 
magnanimity  he  had  shown,  he  would  try  to 
visit  his  vengeance  upon  the  two  youths  while 
they  were  yet  within  reach. 

The  duty  of  our  friends,  therefore,  was  plain : 
they  must  lose  no  time  in  hurrying  beyond  dan- 
ger. When  Mul-tal-la  was  asked  what  the 
result  would  have  been  had  the  apparently 


220  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

honest  invitation  of  Black  Elk  been  accepted, 
the  Blackfoot  smiled. 

"My  brothers  would  have  been  treated  well 
for  a  time,  but  they  would  not  have  lived  long. ' ' 

"How  would  it  have  been  with  you?"  asked 
George. 

"Mul-tal-la  did  not  hurt  Young  Elk  or  the 
Antelope ;  his  skin  is  of  the  same  color  as  Black 
Elk's.  They  are  brothers." 

This  was  another  way  of  saying  the  Blackfoot 
had  nothing  to  fear  from  the  Shoshones.  It 
was  the  boys  who  were  in  peril. 

Victor  more  than  once  was  tempted  to  ask 
their  companion  the  cause  of  his  absence  the 
night  before,  but  refrained  after  speaking  to 
George,  who  told  him  if  Mul-tal-la  wished  he 
would  give  the  information  without  questioning. 
If  he  did  not,  it  was  not  tactful  to  bother  him. 

The  boys  noted  that  the  Blackfoot,  from  his 
place  in  front,  occasionally  turned  his  head  and 
scanned  the  horizon,  especially  to  the  south  and 
west. 

"That  means  that  he  doesn't  believe  we  are 
through  with  the  Shoshones,"  said  Victor,  when 
his  brother  commented  upon  the  action. 

"If  they  intend  any  harm,  I  don't  see  why 


WIRELESS  TELEGRAPHY.  22* 

they  don't  follow  us,  without  trying  to  hide 
from  our  sight.  We  can't  travel  fast,  and  they 
wouldn't  have  any  trouble  in  overtaking  us 
before  we  went  many  miles." 

"That  isn't  the  Indian  fashion  of  doing  busi- 


ness." 


Inasmuch  as  Mul-tal-la  showed  no  such  inter- 
est in  studying  the  country  they  were  leaving 
behind  them,  George  frequently  brought  his 
spyglass  into  play.  Whenever  they  reached 
an  elevation,  though  of  slight  extent,  he  directed 
the  instrument  toward  the  points  which  he  saw 
were  passing  under  the  scrutiny  of  their  guide. 
The  most  careful  study,  sometimes  shared  with 
Victor,  failed  to  reveal  anything  of  a  disturbing 
nature.  It  was  well  to  be  on  guard,  but  it 
looked  as  if  the  Blackfoot  was  unduly  sus- 
picious. 

The  surface  of  the  country  became  more 
broken,  for  the  two  were  gradually  entering 
the  foothill  region  of  that  mighty  range  which 
extends  over  many  degrees  of  the  American 
continent.  The  air  remained  clear  and  sharp, 
different  species  of  wood  were  met,  and  it  was 
not  yet  noon  when  they  halted  beside  one  of 
the  numerous  small  streams  which  issued  from 


222  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

the  mountains,  and,  frolicking  and  tumbling 
eastward,  finally  found  its  way  into  the  Mis- 
souri and  so  on  to  the  Gulf. 

The  water  was  crystalline  and  cold.  The 
horses  drank  from  it,  for  it  was  not  imprudent 
to  permit  them  to  do  so,  since  their  gait  had 
been  moderate  and  they  were  neither  too  warm 
nor  too  tired.  The  draught  was  refreshing  to 
the  boys  and  the  Blackfoot.  The  latter  told 
them  that  if  they  would  start  a  fire  he  would 
try  to  woo  a  meal  from  the  brook,  which  con- 
tained numerous  deep  pools  and  abounded  with 
eddies,  where  fish  were  sure  to  be  found. 

George  and  Victor  set  to  work  with  anima- 
tion. From  the  stunted  pines  they  broke  oft 
dry  twigs  and  fractured  larger  limbs  into 
pieces  until  something  of  a  pile  was  gathered 
and  heaped  up  against  a  small  boulder.  It  took 
some  time  to  make  the  flame  catch  from  the 
steel  and  tinder,  but  both  had  had  a  good  deal 
of  experience  in  kindling  a  fire  in  difficulties, 
and  they  succeeded  in  starting  a  blaze  of  no 
mean  size. 

Mul-tal-la  was  ready,  and  appeared  with 
three  fish,  weighing  two  or  three  pounds  apiece. 
/They  resembled  salmon-trout,  but  were  not. 


WIRELESS  TELEGRAPHY.  223 

However,  there  was  no  doubt  they  would  make 
an  excellent  meal,  and  it  did  not  take  our 
friends  long  to  prepare  it.  As  you  remember, 
the  boys  had  brought  considerable  seasoning  in 
the  form  of  salt  and  pepper,  and  they  made 
sparing  use  of  them.  The  Blackfoot,  like  the 
rest  of  his  people,  did  not  know  the  use  of  condi- 
ments in  preparing  his  food.  It  would  have 
mattered  little  to  him  had  he  been  forced  to  eat 
his  fish  raw,  but  he  had  learned  to  show  defer- 
ence to  the  tastes  of  Deerfoot  and  other  civil- 
ized persons,  and  often  affected  a  fastidious- 
ness which  was  foreign  to  him. 

When  the  midday  meal  was  finished  Mul- 
tal-la  borrowed  the  glass  from  George  Shelton, 
and  walking  a  hundred  paces  or  so  to  the  west- 
ward, climbed  a  rock  and  pointed  the  instru- 
ment to  the  south  and  west.  He  held  his  erect 
posture  so  long,  with  the  instrument  immovable, 
that  the  boys,  who  were  watching  him,  were 
sure  he  had  made  the  discovery  for  which  he 
had  groped  so  long  and  hoped  not  to  make. 

Such  was  the  fact.  Some  five  or  six  miles 
to  the  southwest  he  descried  a  finger  of  smoke 
climbing  into  the  clear  air,  and  showing  dis- 
tinctly against  the  blue  sky,  near  the  foothills. 


224  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

Such  a  sight  was  so  common  and  so  natural  in 
that  part  of  the  world  that  it  would  not  have 
caused  the  Blackfoot  any  unrest  had  he  not 
noted  a  new  and  disquieting  feature.  The  line 
of  vapor  did  not  climb  the  sky,  as  such  lighter 
substance  naturally  does,  but  its  course  was 
sinuous  and  waving,  like  a  ribbon  held  by  one 
end  and  shaken  out. 

This  proved  that  it  was  meant  as  a  signal  by 
those  who  had  kindled  the  fire.  That  thin, 
vibratory  line  of  smoke  was  a  message  sent  for 
miles  across  the  wild  country,  and  the  wireless 
telegram  carried  an  important  meaning.  Who 
was  sending  it? 

" Black  Elk,  the  Shoshone  chieftain,"  was  the 
instant  answer  which  presented  itself  to  the 
Blackfoot.  Did  it  bear  any  relation  to  the  red 
man  and  his  white  companions?  Undoubtedly 
it  did  in  the  estimation  of  Mul-tal-la. 

To  whom  was  the  message  sent? 

That  question  remained  to  be  answered.  Of 
course  it  could  not  be  meant  for  Mul-tal-la  and 
his  young  friends,  for  there  was  no  conceivable 
cause  for  any  signal  of  that  nature.  It  fol- 
lowed, therefore,  that  the  oscillating  line  of 
vapor  was  intended  for  other  Shoshones  who 
were  in  the  neighborhood. 


VIRELESS  TELEGRAPHY.  225 

Accordingly,  Mul-tal-la  now  began  scrutin- 
izing with  the  utmost  care  every  other  portion 
of  the  landscape  within  his  field  of  vision.  To 
the  east  and  south  the  view  extended  for  a  long 
distance,  but  was  shortened  by  the  towering 
mountains  to  the  west  and  northwest.  Some- 
where among  these  rugged  masses  must  be  the 
other  wandering  Shoshones,  and,  sooner  or 
later,  they  were  sure  to  catch  sight  of  the  signal 
fire,  because  it  was  too  conspicuous  to  remain 
hidden  for  any  length  of  time. 

If  the  signal  was  seen  by  those  for  whom  it 
was  intended,  they  would  reply  much  in  the 
same  manner,  for  the  peculiar  code  does  not 
admit  of  much  variation.  Perhaps  the  most 
that  it  could  tell  would  be  that  the  notice  had 
been  seen  and  understood.  The  party  of  the 
second  part  would  then  proceed  to  act. 

Again  and  again  the  Blackfoot's  eye  ranged 
over  his  field  of  vision,  but  at  the  end  of  an 
hour  no  new  discovery  had  rewarded  his  efforts 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

"\/f    UL-TAL-LA,  the  Blackfoot,  performed 
J^       j^     some  mental  calculations  that  would 
have  been  creditable  to  Deerfoot,  the 
Shawanoe. 

Possessing  a  remarkable  memory  of  places, 
he  easily  recalled  the  location  of  the  pass  which 
he  and  his  companions  had  used  when  on  their 
journey  eastward.  Naturally  he  planned  to 
utilize  it  again  on  his  return  with  his  three 
friends.  He  did  not  forget  that  during  his  visit 
to  Black  Elk,  on  the  former  occasion,  he  had 
described  the  route  by  which  he  crossed  the 
formidable  mountain  range.  The  Shoshone 
chieftain  praised  his  skill  and  wisdom  in 
making  use  of  the  pass,  which  he  himself  had 
traversed  more  than  once. 

It  followed,  therefore,  that  Black  Elk  would 
expect  his  old  acquaintance  to  guide  the  youths 
over  the  same  course.  He  had  therefore  sig- 
nalled to  the  Shoshones  in  the  mountains  to  cut 

226 


IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  227 

off  the  little  party,  and  the  most  promising 
place  for  that  was  in  the  pass  which  was  famil- 
iar to  both.  Consequently,  the  prudent  thing 
for  Mul-tal-la  to  do  was  to  mislead  Black  Elk 
as  to  his  time  of  entering  the  pass. 

It  has  been  said  that  the  entrance  could  be 
reached  by  the  close  of  the  afternoon,  but  the 
first  intention  of  the  Blackfoot  was  to  camp  at 
this  entrance  until  the  following  morning, 
arranging  to  make  the  passage  by  daylight. 
You  must  not  form  the  idea  that  when  a  moun- 
tain pass  is  referred  to,  it  is  in  the  nature  of  a 
road  which  can  be  followed  without  trouble  and 
that  few  difficulties  are  met.  The  great  South 
Pass  through  the  Eockies  is  twenty  miles  wide 
in  many  places,  and  a  party  of  emigrants  have 
often  entered  and  tramped  it  for  a  long  way 
before  learning  they  were  journeying  over  an 
old  route  that  has  been  used  by  thousands  of 
persons  in  crossing  the  plains. 

A  mountain  pass  as  understood  in  the  West 
may  be  described  as  a  means  of  getting  across 
or  through  a  range.  It  often  involves  steep 
climbing  and  descent,  winding  past  wild  and 
dangerous  precipices,  with  the  hardest  work 
conceivable.  It  requires  several  days  and 


228  DEERTOOT  CIS   rHE  PRAIRIES. 

sometimes  a  week  or  more  to  traverse.  It  has 
happened  that  a  party,  after  penetrating  to  a 
long  distance,  has  discovered  that  they  have 
been  following  a  blind  path,  and  they  are 
obliged  to  turn  back  and  hunt  for  a  new  one. 
The  most  experienced  mountaineers  sometimes 
go  astray.  On  one  of  Fremont's  exploring 
expeditions  his  guide  lost  his  way  and  the  most 
disastrous  results  followed.  Many  of  the 
hardiest  scouts  and  all  of  the  mules  froze  to 
death,  and  the  explorer  himself  had  a  narrow 
escape  from  a  similar  fate. 

It  would  have  been  impossible  for  the  two 
Blackfeet  to  find  their  way  through  the  range 
had  they  been  forced  to  depend  upon  them- 
selves, but  the  trail  had  been  used  for  years 
by  hunters  and  wild  animals,  and  was  so  clearly 
marked  that,  traveling  only  by  daylight,  it  was 
easy  to  avoid  going  wrong. 

Mul-tal-la  explained  the  problem  that  con- 
fronted him,  and  the  boys  saw  it  was  both  diffi- 
cult and  dangerous.  His  plan  was  to  press  on 
till  they  arrived  at  the  entrance  to  the  pass,  and 
then,  instead  of  waiting  until  morning,  do  the 
utmost  traveling  possible  by  night.  The  Sho- 
shones  would  not  expect  this.  Therefore,  if  all 


IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  229 

went  well,  our  friends  would  gain  a  good  start 
and,  by  keeping  it  up  as  long  as  they  could, 
might  throw  their  enemies  so  far  to  the  rear 
that  they  would  be  eluded.  The  Blackfoot 
thought  they  could  reach  the  comparatively 
level  country  beyond  at  the  end  of  three  days, 
provided  they  made  good  use  of  the  nights, 
which,  you  will  remember,  were  partly  lit  by  the 
moon,  and  provided  also  the  weather  continued 
fair. 

"The  smoke  of  this  fire  will  tell  Black  Elk 
where  we  are,"  remarked  George  Shelton,  when 
they  were  about  to  resume  their  journey. 

"Yes;  had  Mul-tal-la  seen  the  signal  of  Black 
Elk  the  fire  would  not  have  been  started,  but 
it  is  too  late  now." 

"It  seems  to  me,"  said  Victor,  "that  since 
you  have  located  Black  Elk  and  his  party,  the 
only  thing  left  is  to  keep  a  lookout  for  the 
Shoshones  in  front." 

"My  brother  speaks  the  words  of  wisdom."  • 

"Thanks — and  now,  Mul-tal-la,  why  not  go 
by  that  pass  you  have  been  talking  about  and 
take  a  new  one  through  the  mountains  ? ' ' 

The  Blackfoot  explained  that  that  was  the 
question  he  had  been  turning  over  in  his  mind, 


230  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

but  the  plan  could  not  be  followed,  because  he 
had  no  knowledge  of  any  other  path.  There 
might  be  none,  or,  at  best,  he  would  have  to 
spend  a  long  time  in  hunting  for  it,  and  when 
found,  they  were  likely  to  be  turned  back  by 
obstructions  of  which  they  could  know  nothing 
until  they  faced  them.  The  conclusion  was 
therefore  clear :  they  must  use  the  old  pass  with 
which  he  was  familiar. 

But  the  Blackfoot  had  a  little  trick  in  mind, 
which  he  explained  to  his  friends.  They  would 
select  a  camping  site  among  the  foothills  near 
where  they  would  have  to  make  the  change  of 
route  to  enter  the  mountains.  They  would 
start  another  fire,  whose  smoke  would  give 
their  enemies  the  impression  that  they  had 
halted  for  the  night.  The  Shoshones,  following 
the  rule  of  their  race,  were  not  likely  to  molest 
the  travelers  until  the  night  was  well  advanced, 
and  by  that  time  Mul-tal-la  hoped  to  be  beyond 
reach.  Care  and  skill  and  not  a  little  good 
fortune  were  necessary  to  success,  but  the  faith- 
ful guide  was  hopeful. 

It  took  only  a  fraction  of  the  time  I  have  used 
for  a  full  understanding  to  be  reached  by  the 
Blackfoot  and  the  boys.  At  the  request  of 


IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  231 

George  Shelton,  their  friend  retained  the  spy- 
glass, while  he  and  his  brother  depended  upon 
their  unaided  eyesight.  Mul-tal-la  held  his 
position  a  hundred  yards,  more  or  less,  in 
advance,  with  the  laden  Zigzag  plodding  after 
and  the  brothers  bringing  up  the  rear.  All 
were  fortunate  in  one  respect :  none  of  the  ani- 
mals— omitting  the  previous  accident  to  the 
horse  Simon  and  later  to  Whirlwind — had  fallen 
lame.  This  was  fortunate  when  it  is  remembered 
that  all  were  unshod  and  they  had  been  obliged 
to  pass  more  than  one  rough  place.  This  good 
fortune  could  hardly  be  expected  to  continue, 
now  that  the  hardest  part  of  the  journey  thus 
far  confronted  them. 

The  course  wound  among  the  elevations  and 
depressions,  past  boulders  and  rocks,  with 
grass,  trees  and  undergrowth  continually 
obtruding,  and  with  the  rugged  outlines  of  the 
mountains  towering  above  the  cloud  line  on 
their  left.  At  varying  distances  the  great 
peaks  climbed  far  into  the  sky,  their  crests 
white  with  snow,  and  in  some  cases  the  fleecy 
clouds  wrapped  them  about  so  closely  that  it 
was  hard  to  tell  where  one  ended  and  the  other 
began. 


232  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

Now  and  then  a  breath  of  icy  air  was  wafted 
over  the  lads,  and  they  involuntarily  shivered. 
Then  in  the  soft  hush  the  weather  for  a  time 
became  oppressive.  Up  and  down,  to  the  right 
and  left,  in  and  out,  the  three  pushed  onward, 
making  better  progress  than  at  any  time  for 
weeks  before. 

The  guide  gave  the  boys  no  attention,  for 
none  was  necessary.  They  understood  matters, 
and  the  part  they  had  to  play  was  simple.  The 
Blackfoot  could  be  seen  now  and  then  to  check 
his  horse  and  lift  the  instrument  to  his  eye. 
While  he  gave  his  chief  attention  to  the  front, 
he  did  not  neglect  to  scan  every  portion  of  his 
field  of  vision. 

One  fact  puzzled  the  Blackfoot.  Hours  had 
passed  since  Black  Elk  sent  his  signal  across 
the  miles  of  country,  but  the  reply,  so  far  as 
Mul-tal-la  could  discover,  was  yet  to  be  given. 
It  could  hardly  be  done  without  his  seeing  it. 
The  fact  that  nothing  showed  suggested  the 
possibility  of  there  being  no  Shoshones  in  that 
section  to  answer  the  command  of  their  chief. 
Such  might  be  the  fact,  but  it  was  unlikely  that 
a  veteran  like  Black  Elk  would  call  to  any  of 
his  warriors  unless  he  knew  they  would  respond. 


IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  233 

Mul-tal-la  acted  as  if  such  a  contingency  was 
out  of  the  question. 

The  sunlight  was  still  in  the  air  when  the 
Blackfoot  reined  in  his  horse  and  dropped 
from  his  back.  They  were  in  a  rough,  broken 
section,  filled  with  rocks,  undergrowth,  stunted 
pines,  oaks  and  other  varieties  of  trees,  while 
a  small  brook  brawled  and  splashed  and 
tumbled  some  distance  away  in  its  eager  hunt 
for  a  channel  to  the  Platte. 

"It  looks  as  if  we  are  done  for  the  day/'  said 
George,  noting  the  action  of  their  friend.  "If 
we  are,  we  have  made  better  time  than  we 
expected. ' ' 

The  Blackfoot  beckoned  them  to  approach, 
and  they  rode  up  beside  him. 

"Here  we  wait  till  night/'  he  explained. 
"When  we  turn  yonder  we  begin  to  travel  over 
the  trail  that  will  bring  us  into  the  open  country 
on  the  other  side  of  the  mountains — if  Black 
Elk  does  not  say  no, ' '  he  added,  with  his  mean- 
ing grin. 

"You  have  seen  nothing  of  the  answer  to  his 
signal?"  asked  George. 

"  No ;  the  sky  in  front  and  over  the  mountains 
is  clear" 


234  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

"How  about  that?"  broke  in  Victor,  pointing 
to  the  westward,  in  which  direction  the  pass 
extended. 

The  others  turned  and  saw  that  which  they 
had  been  hoping  not  to  see.  A  spiral,  oscillating 
line  of  smoke  was  creeping  slowly  upward  in 
the  clear  air.  Moreover,  it  was  not  more  than 
half  a  mile  distant.  Although  the  reply  of  the 
Shoshones  to  their  chief  had  been  delayed,  it 
had  come  at  last.  The  warriors  were  on  hand, 
and  in  the  path  which  the  travelers  had  intended 
to  follow. 

The  three  scanned  the  telltale  column  of 
vapor  in  silence.  In  the  circumstances  the 
glass  could  give  no  help.  The  interval  was  too 
brief  and  the  object  itself  too  ethereal  and 
vague  to  call  for  any  strengthening  of  vision. 
Finally  George  asked,  involuntarily  dropping 
his  voice,  as  one  does  in  the  presence  of  dan- 
ger: 

"Will  that  change  your  plans,  Mul-tal-la!" 

He  thought  for  a  minute,  with  his  eyes  still 
on  the  smoke,  before  answering. 

"Mul-tal-la  cannot  speak  of  a  surety,  but  he 
does  not  think  so." 

As  he  explained  matters  from  his  point  of 


IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  235 

view,  the  former  course  that  he  had  indicated 
remained  the  right  one  to  follow.  The  dis- 
covery simply  added  another  element  of  danger 
to  that  which  was  there  from  the  first.  By 
kindling  the  fire  where  they  had  halted,  they 
would  give  the  impression  that  they  had  gone 
into  camp  for  the  night.  This  subterfuge 
ought  to  lure  the  Shoshones  to  the  place  in 
order  to  make  their  attack  during  the  darkness. 

The  situation  could  not  have  been  more  deli- 
cate. To  carry  out  the  plan  of  the  Blackfoot 
it  was  necessary  for  him  and  his  companions  to 
set  out  over  the  pass  as  soon  as  it  became  dark. 
They  would  thus  be  going  directly  toward  the 
hostiles,  who,  in  case  they  did  not  wait  until  a 
late  hour,  would  be  coming  at  the  same  time 
toward  the  travelers.  Using  the  one  road,  it 
would  seem  that  an  encounter  was  inevitable. 

The  hope  of  averting  such  a  meeting  rested 
on  the  fact  that  the  pass  was  of  varying  width, 
and  in  many  places  two  or  three  routes  were 
open.  Two  men  following  opposite  directions 
might  miss  each  other  by  a  half-mile  interval, 
and  without  the  possibility  of  mutual  discovery. 
Again  there  were  stretches  where  they  would 
have  to  come  face  to  face.  A  not  important 


236  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

advantage  of  our  friends  was  that  they  would 
be  expecting — and  would,  therefore,  be  on  the 
lookout  for — the  Shoshones,  while  it  was  not 
likely  the  latter  would  be  watching  for  the 
Blackfoot  and  the  boys,  who  were  supposed  to 
be  at  the  entrance  to  the  pass,  where  the  smoke 
of  their  camp-fire  spoke  of  their  presence. 

A  vigorous  blaze  having  been  started,  Mul- 
tal-la  took  the  lead  as  before.  It  was  under- 
stood that  he  was  to  hold  his  place  considerably 
farther  in  advance  than  usual.  Upon  the  first 
sign  of  their  enemies  he  would  warn  them  by 
signal,  when  they  could  conceal  themselves,  if 
possible,  until  the  hostiles  passed  down  the  trail 
to  the  supposed  camp.  If  this  could  be  accom- 
plished, the  danger  would  be  past  and  the  prob- 
lem solved.  Everything  depended  upon  the 
skill  of  the  Blackfoot. 

Night  had  begun  closing  in  when  the  start 
was  made  in  the  order  named,  excepting  that 
Mul-tal-la,  as  has  been  stated,  led  by  a  longer 
interval,  and  Victor  Shelton  was  at  the  extreme 
rear.  The  guide  was  invisible  to  the  boys  most 
of  the  time. 

The  trail  steadily  ascended,  and  for  an  hour 
or  more  was  easy  traveling.  It  wound  to  the 


IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  237 

right  or  left,  passing  into  deep  hollows,  climb- 
ing steep  ridges,  circling  obstructions  in  the 
form  of  massive  piles  of  rocks,  but  without 
interposing  any  difficult  places  where  it  was 
necessary  to  halt  or  grope  one's  way. 

The  little  company  had  penetrated  more  than 
a  mile  in  this  manner  without  hearing  or  seeing 
anything  to  cause  alarm.  Mul-tal-la  was 
beyond  sight,  but  the  boys,  George  leading,  were 
silent,  listening  and  peering  into  the  gloom, 
which,  as  yet,  was  unlighted  by  the  moon.  That 
would  not  rise  for  some  time  to  come. 

Suddenly  a  soft  tremulous  whistle  came  from 
the  front.  This  was  the  signal  agreed  upon, 
and  the  brothers  instantly  halted.  Zigzag  was 
so  well  trained  that  he  did  the  same.  It  had 
been  deemed  best  to  place  him  between  Jack 
and  Prince,  so  as  to  hem  him  in,  as  may  be  said. 

Fortunately  the  check  came  at  a  favorable 
point.  The  rocks  and  undergrowth  on  the  right 
offered  a  good  place  for  hiding,  and  George 
Shelton,  slipping  from  his  saddle,  grasped  the 
bridle  rein  of  his  horse  and  forced  him  to  one 
side.  The  animal  stumbled,  but  a  few  steps 
took  him  far  enough.  Leaving  him,  George 
dashed  back  to  Zigzag,  and  with  harder  work 


238  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

almost  dragged  him  after  Jack.  Victor  was  on 
the  ground  almost  as  soon  as  his  brother,  so 
that  the  boys  and  three  horses  were  speedily 
bunched  together,  beyond  sight  of  anyone  pass- 
ing over  the  trail  unless  his  attention  was 
drawn  to  them. 

Quick  as  they  had  been  the  precaution  was 
not  a  minute  too  soon.  Mul-tal-la  must  have 
failed  to  discover  his  peril  until  it  was  almost 
upon  him. 

The  first  warning  was  a  singular  one.  A 
sneeze  sounded,  followed  by  a  guttural  excla- 
mation, and  the  next  moment  the  crouching  lads 
saw  the  dim  outlines  of  a  warrior  striding 
stealthily  over  the  pass  to  the  eastward.  He 
was  moving  slowly,  with  head  thrust  forward, 
and  carried  a  long  bow  in  his  hand.  Before  he 
passed  out  of  sight  a  second  loomed  to  view, 
then  a  third,  a  fourth  and  a  fifth — all  gliding 
like  so  many  phantoms  of  the  night,  and  doubt- 
less making  for  the  supposed  camp  of  the  trav- 
elers a  mile  or  more  away. 

Stooping  low  and  silently  watching  the 
shadows,  the  brothers  were  beginning  to 
breathe  freely  when,  to  their  consternation, 
Zigzag  emitted  a  whinny  which,  in  the  stillness, 
could  have  been  heard  half  a  mile  away. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

INDIAN  CHIVALRY. 

THE  Shoshones  instantly  stopped  and  one, 
of   them   uttered   an   exclamation.    It 
was   easy   for   them   to  tell   the  direc- 
tion from  whence  the  unexpected  sound  had 
come,  and  all  stood  peering  into  the  gloom, 
bows  tightly  grasped  and  hands  ready  to  draw 
their  arrows  from  the  quivers  and  launch  them 
at  the  instant  demanded. 

Victor  was  so  incensed  with  Zigzag  that  he 
was  tempted  to  send  a  bullet  through  his  brain, 
but  restrained  himself.  He  whispered  to 
George  at  his  side : 

" Don't  stir  or  speak,  but  be  ready  to  shoot !" 
His  intention  was  to  fire  upon  the  Shoshones 
if  they  advanced  upon  them.  Such  an  advance 
undoubtedly  would  have  been  made,  for  the  hos- 
tiles  could  not  have  been  aware  of  the  real 
danger  of  it,  but  it  was  prevented  by  the  unex- 
pected appearance  of  the  Blackfoot,  who  came 
hurrying  down  the  pass  on  foot,  and  called  to 

239 


240  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

the  Shoshones  in  their  own  tongue.  The 
strangers  immediately  turned  their  attention  to 
him,  and  the  boys,  from  their  covert,  had  the 
singular  spectacle  presented  of  a  single  warrior 
in  seemingly  friendly  converse  with  five  who 
were  believed  to  be  enemies. 

"I  don't  understand  what  he  means,"  whis- 
pered George;  "do  you?" 

"Haven't  any  idea,  but  it  looks  as  if  there's 
going  to  be  a  fight.  If  it  comes,  you  take  the 
one  to  the  left  and  I'll  drop  him  on  the  right; 
we  mustn't  waste  our  bullets." 

"That  will  leave  Mul-tal-la  with  three  to 
fight." 

"But  won't  we  take  a  hand?  We  must  jump 
right  into  it.  After  we  have  wiped  them  all  out, 
I  think  I'll  knock  Zigzag  in  the  head — confound 
him!  He's  to  blame  for  all  this." 

"Don't  be  hasty,  Victor.  If  Mul-tal-la  needs- 
our  help  he'll  call  to  us;  he  must  know  we  are 
ready  and  won't  fail  him." 

Meanwhile  the  Blackfoot  was  holding  a  talk 
with  the  five  Shoshones,  who  made  up  the  entire 
party.  It  seemed  strange  that  a  struggle  did 
not  open  at  once,  but  it  may  have  been  because 
the  hostiles  were  ignorant  of  the  force  hiding; 


INDIAN  CHIVALRY,  24* 

beside  the  trail  and  holding  them  under  their 
guns.  An  Indian,  no  more  than  a  white  man, 
likes  to  engage  in  a  contest  with  a  foe  whose 
strength  is  unknown. 

Suddenly,  to  the  amazement  of  George  and 
Victor  Shelton,  Mul-tal-la  called  to  them : 

"Let  my  brothers  come  forward;  no  harm 
shall  be  done  them!" 

"Well,  that  gets  me!"  muttered  Victor.  "I 
don 't  know  whether  to  obey  him  or  not. ' ' 

"It  won't  do  to  refuse,  but  we'll  be  ready." 

Leaving  their  animals  behind,  the  two 
straightened  up  and  picked  their  way  to  the 
path,  each  firmly  grasping  his  gun  and  resolute 
that  there  should  be  no  repetition  of  the  per- 
formance earlier  in  the  day. 

The  obscurity  did  not  prevent  the  brothers 
gaining  a  good  view  of  the  five  warriors,  who 
surveyed  them  with  unconcealed  interest  as 
they  came  into  the  trail  and  halted  behind  the 
Blackfoot  and  several  paces  from  the  nearest 
Shoshone.  The  strangers  resembled  the  war- 
riors who  were  the  companions  of  Black  Elk, 
the  chief.  Though  he  could  not  be  certain, 
George  believed  that  one  at  least  whom  they 
had  met  that  morning  was  with  the  party  before 
him. 


242  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

Mul-tal-la  now  told  a  remarkable  story — so 
remarkable,  indeed,  that  the  boys  could  not 
credit  it.  These  five  Shoshones  were  the  ones 
to  whom  Black  Elk  had  signalled  by  means  of 
his  camp-fire,  and  to  which  they  had  replied 
later  in  the  day.  But  the  exchange  of  messages 
was  meant  as  a  friendly  interference  in  behalf 
of  the  Blackfoot  and  his  companions. 

The  chief  had  good  reason  to  believe  that  a 
hunting  party  of  Cas-ta-ba-nas  were  in  the 
mountains,  and  a  meeting  between  them  and 
the  travelers  was  almost  certain.  The  Cas-ta- 
ba-nas  were  a  small  tribe  whose  villages  and 
hunting  grounds  were  to  the  eastward  of  the 
principal  range  of  the  Eockies.  They  were 
small  in  numbers,  but  of  warlike  disposition, 
and  were  often  engaged  in  hostilities  with 
others  of  their  race.  They  were  wise  enough, 
however,  not  to  molest  the  Shoshones  or 
Snakes,  who  were  so  much  more  numerous  and 
powerful  that  they  would  have  exterminated  the 
whole  tribe  had  provocation  been  given.  It 
would  not  be  far  from  the  truth  to  say  the  Cas- 
ta-ba-nas  were  vassals  of  the  Shoshones. 

It  appeared  to  be  the  fate  of  the  smaller  tribe 
to  become  involved  to  a  greater  degree  with  the 


INDIAN  CHIVALRY.  243 

whites  than  were  others  of  their  race.  This 
may  have  been  because  the  most  productive 
beaver-runs  were  in  their  section  of  the  West, 
and  consequently  more  trappers  were  drawn 
hither.  There  had  been  a  fight  the  preceding 
winter  between  three  white  men  and  a  party  of 
Cas-ta-ba-nas,  in  which  two  of  the  latter  were 
killed.  This  inflamed  the  anger  of  the  tribe 
toward  the  palefaces.  What  more  likely,  there- 
fore, than  that,  when  they  came  upon  a  couple 
of  the  hated  race  under  the  escort  of  a  single 
Blackfoot,  they  should  destroy  all  three? 

Black  Elk,  therefore,  as  the  extraordinary 
story  ran,  had  signalled  to  the  Shoshones  to 
warn  the  Cas-ta-ba-nas  that  they  must  not 
molest  the  little  party  on  their  way  through 
their  country.  If  they  violated  the  command 
Black  Elk  would  make  sure  that  they  suffered 
therefor. 

This  was  the  story  told  to  the  boys,  and 
which  impressed  them  as  incredible. 

"I  don't  believe  a  word  of  it,"  said  Victor, 
who  did  not  hesitate  to  speak  plainly,  inasmuch 
as  Mul-tal-la  was  the  only  Indian  present  who 
could  understand  his  words;  "do  you?" 

"Mul-tal-la  does  not  know;  it  may  be  true." 


244  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

"How  could  Black  Elk  tell  all  this  to  another 
party  of  Shoshones  by  means  of  the  smoke  of 
his  camp-fire!"  asked  George  Shelton. 

"  He  could  not. " 

"Then  how  did  these  people  get  his  mes- 
sage?" 

"This  Shoshone,"  replied  the  Blackfoot, 
indicating  the  warrior  whom  the  youth  believed 
he  had  met  before,  "was  with  Black  Elk.  He 
sent  him  to  find  these  Shoshones  with  the  word 
from  the  chief;  but  it  took  him  a  long  time  to 
find  them ;  that  is  why  we  did  not  see  the  return 
to  the  signal  till  the  day  was  near  done." 

"What  need  was  there  of  his  finding  the 
others?  Couldn't  he  have  given  the  message 
to  the  Cas-ta-ba-nas  himself  without  asking 
anyone  to  help  him  1 ' ' 

"That  he  would  have  done  had  he  not  found 
his  friends  before  darkness  came.  It  may  be," 
added  Mul-tal-la  significantly,  "that  the  Cas- 
ta-ba-nas  are  more  afraid  of  five  Shoshones 
than  of  a  single  one." 

"It  may  all  be  as  you  say,  Mul-tal-la,  but 
Victor  and  I  find  it  mighty  hard  to  believe  it; 
but  we'll  do  as  you  wish.  What's  the  next 
step!" 


INDIAN  CHIVALRY.  245 

"Let  my  brothers  bring  their  horses  to  the 
path." 

George  and  Victor  obeyed,  and  a  few  minutes 
later  the  three  emerged  into  the  dim  light. 
Victor  used  the  occasion  to  give  Zigzag  a  spite- 
ful kick  as  a  reminder  of  his  offense,  but  feared 
that  the  plodding,  contrary  animal  was  not 
much  benefited  by  the  discipline. 

While  the  lads  were  thus  employed  Mul-tal-la 
and  the  Shoshones  came  to  an  understanding. 
The  travelers  were  to  resume  their  journey 
through  the  mountains,  the  five  friends — if  such 
they  really  were — maintaining  the  lead,  with  the 
Blackf  oot  riding  next  and  his  companions  in  the 
order  already  named. 

"That  suits  me,"  was  the  comment  of  Victor. 
"I  never  would  have  those  villains  walking 
behind  us ;  it  would  be  too  easy  for  one  to  send 
an  arrow  through  me  when  I  wasn't  thinking. 
If  they  try  any  trick  now  two  or  three  of  them 
are  sure  to  go  down.  I  wish  I  knew  whether  or 
not  they  are  lying." 

"We  shall  have  to  wait  and  find  out." 

"And  while  we  are  doing  that  they  may  lead 
us  into  a  trap.  Ah!  if  we  only  had  Deerfoot 
with  us!  They  wouldn't  fool  him,  though  he 


246  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES, 

never  saw  a  Shoshone  unless  he  has  met  one 
since  we  left  him.  Seems  to  me,  George,  it's 
about  time  that  young  chap  showed  up.'** 

"I  don't  think  we  need  look  for  him  for  sev- 
eral days.  You  remember  he  told  us  as  much. 
He  isn't  thinking  of  anyone  now  except  Whirl- 
wind, and  he  won't  let  that  horse  run  the  risk 
of  falling  lame." 

"And  when  Deerfoot  does  turn  up  he'll  have 
the  stallion  trained  so  well  that  he'll  know 
more  than  all  our  horses  together,  which  isn't 
much.  But  we  haven't  any  time  to  think  of 
them.  Mul-tal-la  is  nobody's  fool,  and  I  don't 
think  he  is  likely  to  let  this  party  outwit  him, 
but  I'll  be  glad  when  we  are  rid  of  them." 

"Suppose  they  stay  with  us  till  we  meet  the 
Cas-ta-ba-nas  and  then  join  them  in  attacking 
us?" 

"That's  the  thing  I've  been  thinking  about. 
You  see,  though  there  are  five  of  the  Shoshones 
now,  they  have  no  weapons  except  bows  and 
arrows.  We  have  three  guns  and  they  have 
learned  about  them  from  the  white  men  they 
have  fought.  So  what  is  more  likely  than  that 
they  are  afraid  to  put  up  a  fight  until  they  have 
help?" 


INDIAN  CHIVALRY.  247 

"It  wouldn't  surprise  me  if  it  is  as  you  say. 
I  haven't  heard  how  many  the  Cas-ta-ba-nas 
are  in  this  part  of  the  country,  but  if  they  don't 
number  more  than  the  Shoshones  the  two  par- 
ties will  be  too  many  for  us  to  handle. ' ' 

"We'll  make  it  interesting,  anyway," 
sturdily  replied  Victor. 

It  was  a  strange  procession  that  filed  through 
the  mountains,  the  five  Shoshones  stalking  for- 
ward in  Indian  file,  with  Mul-tal-la  riding  close 
to  the  last,  then  George  Shelton  and  his  brother, 
with  Zigzag  patiently  plodding  at  the  rear,  it 
being  deemed  safe  to  leave  him  in  that  position, 
since  there  was  no  call  for  extra  precaution,  and 
he  had  little  or  no  chance  to  disturb  the  arrange- 
ments. 

By  and  by  the  moon  appeared  above  the 
range  and  added  to  the  dim  light  that  had  thus 
far  guided  the  two  parties.  The  trail  which 
they  were  following  proved  easier  of  travel 
than  at  the  beginning.  Twice  they  had  to  cross 
small  streams,  but  the  rushing  water  was  no 
more  than  a  few  inches  deep  and  the  footing  of 
the  animals  was  secure.  Then  they  wound 
along  a  precipice,  reaching  downward  fully  a 
hundred  feet,  where  the  path  was  so  narrow 


248  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

that  there  was  scant  room  for  a  single  laden 
horse.  Peering  into  the  gloomy  depth  the 
brothers  felt  a  shrinking,  for  the  slip  of  any 
one  of  their  horses  would  have  brought  woeful 
consequences.  George  and  Victor  drew  a  sigh 
of  relief  when  they  reached  a  safer  place. 

Here  the  trail  broadened  for  many  yards,  and 
traveling  was  all  that  anyone  could  wish.  The 
progress  was  deliberate  and  seemingly  as  auto- 
matic as  if  regulated  by  machinery.  The  line 
of  Shoshones  did  not  increase  nor  slacken  its 
gait,  even  when  treading  the  narrow  portion 
which  caused  tfie  lads  disquiet. 

Unexpectedly  in  making  a  turn  they  came 
upon  a  camp-fire  burning  some  rods  to  the  left 
of  the  trail  and  in  an  open  space.  The  first 
glance  showed  that  fully  a  dozen  warriors  were 
grouped  about  it,  some  lolling  on  the  ground 
or  on  boulders,  several  standing  up,  and  most 
of  them  smoking  long-stemmed  pipes,  which 
were  made  from  a  peculiar  red  clay  found  in 
the  vicinity.  They  had  evidently  eaten  their 
evening  meal  some  time  before. 

' '  The  Cas-ta-ba-nas ! ' '  exclaimed  George, 
speaking  over  his  shoulder  to  his  brother. 

The  Shoshones  halted  and  spoke  to  Mul-tal-la, 


The  Critical  Moment. 


INDIAN  CHIVALRY.  249 

who  dismounted  and  talked  with  them  for  a  few 
minutes.  Then  the  Blackfoot  addressed  the 
boys  : 

"Let  my  brothers  wait  till  Mul-tal-la  comes 
back  to  them. ' ' 

With  that  he  turned  off  with  the  Shoshones, 
who  headed  straight  for  the  camp  of  the  Cas- 
ta-ba-nas,  the  party  straggling  forward  without 
any  regard  to  order.  George  and  Victor 
remained  seated  on  their  horses,  watching  the 
singular  scene. 

The  glow  of  the  fire,  added  to  the  moonlight, 
made  everything  more  or  less  visible.  The 
arrival  of  the  visitors  naturally  caused  a  stir. 
The  Cas-ta-ba-nas  who  were  seated  rose  to 
their  feet,  and  immediately  an  earnest  con- 
versation began.  Hosts  and  guests  could  be 
seen  gesticulating  vigorously,  and  across,  the 
intervening  space  came  the  odd  sounds  made 
by  their  peculiar  manner  of  speaking.  Specu- 
lating and  wondering,  the  boys  watched  and 
awaited  the  issue  of  the  curious  incident.  They 
looked  for  a  sudden  outbreak,  though  hopeful 
it  would  be  averted.  If  the  Shoshones  meant 
to  play  false,  their  treachery  would  speedily 
appear.  The  conclusion  could  not  be  delayed 
longer  than  a  few  minutes. 


250  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

While  the  brothers  were  intently  studying  the 
picture  the  Blackfoot  was  seen  to  withdraw 
from  the  group  and  walk  hurriedly  back  to 
where  he  had  left  his  friends.  Shoshones  and 
Cas-ta-ba-nas  stayed  where  they  were,  but  gazed 
after  him  and  at  the  forms  of  the  boys  and 
horses  not  far  off. 

"We  shall  now  know  what's  up,"  said  George 
Shelton. 

"Whatever  it  is,  the  decision  has  been  made." 

Mul-tal-la  came  up,  cool  and  collected,  but 
clearly  agitated. 

"It  is  as  my  brothers  hoped,"  were  his 
words.  "Black  Elk  did  as  his  warriors  said; 
the  Cas-ta-ba-nas  have  been  told  that  he  will 
slay  anyone  of  them  that  dares  hurt  Mul-tal-la 
or  the  palefaces  with  him.  They  dare  not  dis- 
obey the  words  of  the  great  Black  Elk.  No 
harm  shall  come  from  them  to  us.  Let  us 
go  on." 

And  so  it  proved  that  chivalry  is  not  dead 
even  among  the  American  Indians. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

A  CALAMITY. 

IT  seemed  too  good  to  be  true,  and  yet  all 
doubt  vanished  with  the  words  spoken  by 
the  Blackfoot. 

"I  can't  say  I  liked  the  way  Black  Elk  acted 
when  we  first  met,"  said  Victor,  "but  he  has 
proved  himself  more  of  a  man  than  I  supposed. 
I  hope  now  he  won't  punish  Young  Elk  for  run- 
ning away  from  me. ' ' 

"Why  not?" 

"Because  /  gave  him  enough.  Anyway, 
whatever  the  father  did  to  his  boys  has  been 
already  done,  so  we  needn't  worry  over  it." 

"Mul-tal-la,"  said  George,  "you  haven't  any 
doubts  left?" 

"It  is  wrong  to  doubt;  the  words  of  Black 
Elk  were  true;  he  spoke  with  a  single  tongue. 
My  brothers  need  not  fear." 

"Why  don't  those  Shoshones  of  his  come 
back  and  see  us  through  the  mountains!  It 
strikes  me  that  that  is  the  right  thing  to  do." 

251 


252  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

"No;  they  will  stay  with  the  Cas-ta-ba-nas 
and  hold  them  back  if  they  try  to  do  us  harm. 
They  will  be  with  them  till  we  are  far  away; 
then  they  can  go  back  to  Black  Elk  and  tell  him 
that  all  has  been  done  as  he  ordered." 

"It  is  better  than  I  thought,"  said  the  pleased 
George.  "I  don't  suppose  we  are  likely  to  run 
against  any  more  of  those  people ;  if  we  do,  we 
can  fall  back  on  these  reserves." 

The  Blackfoot  silently  led  the  journey  for 
an  hour  longer.  No  one  observing  the  surety 
of  his  movements  would  have  thought  he  had 
been  over  the  route  but  once  before.  Every- 
thing appeared  to  be  as  familiar  as  if  he  had 
spent  his  life  in  the  mountains.  The  trail  con- 
tinued to  ascend  and  soon  became  harder  to 
travel.  Several  times  it  looked  to  the  boys  as 
if  they  would  be  checked  and  turned  back,  but 
their  guide  always  found  a  course  that  per- 
mitted the  passage  of  their  horses'  feet. 

"This  is  well  enough,"  finally  remarked  Vic- 
tor, "but  I  don't  see  the  need  of  it.  We  did  a 
good  deal  of  traveling  to-day,  and  if  those 
Indians  to  the  rear  are  friendly  what's  the  use 
of  hurrying  to  get  away  from  them?" 

"I  don't  think  Mul-tal-la  means  to  travel 
much  farther." 


A  CALAMITY.  253 

Even  as  George  spoke  the  Blackfoot  halted. 
He  had  been  pushing  on  in  order  to  reach  the 
most  favorable  spot  for  camping.  It  was 
found  near  the  base  of  a  mass  of  black  frown- 
ing rocks,  from  beneath  which  bubbled  a  tiny 
stream  of  ice-cold  water.  This  formed  a  deep 
pool  close  to  the  rocks,  and  then  dripped  away 
in  the  gloom  of  the  boulders,  trees  and  under- 
growth. The  place  was  sheltered  against  the 
arctic  winds  which  sometimes  rage  at  this  alti- 
tude, and  indeed  was  so  attractive  that  while 
our  friends  were  gathering  fuel  and  preparing 
for  camp,  they  saw  it  had  been  used  more  than 
once  for  the  same  purpose  by  other  hunting 
parties  in  the  neighborhood. 

Hardly  had  the  animals  been  relieved  of  sad- 
dles, bridles  and  the  pack,  and  the  fire  started, 
when  the  three  were  given  a  taste  of  the  varia- 
ble climate  of  that  section.  Although  summer 
had  fully  come,  the  wind  moaned  and  howled 
through  the  trees  at  the  summit  of  the  rocks 
and  on  their  right  and  left.  Suddenly  Victor 
called  out: 

"It's  snowing!" 

In  a  twinkling,  as  it  were,  the  air  was  filled 
with  blinding  flakes,  which  eddied  and  whirled 


254  DEERJFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

about  the  three  and  covered  their  bodies  with 
its  white  mantle.  The  horses  found  protection 
by  huddling  close  to  the  pile  of  stone,  though 
the  temperature  was  not  very  low. 

The  flurry  passed  almost  as  quickly  as  it 
arose.  In  a  few  minutes  the  air  was  as  clear 
as  before,  and  the  moon  shone  from  an 
unclouded  sky.  The  friends  gathered  about 
the  fire,  which  was  soon  burning  vigorously. 

It  was  the  turn  of  George  Shelton  to  go  on 
guard  for  the  first  part  of  the  night,  changing 
places  with  his  brother  at  the  usual  hour. 
Since  this  duty  had  to  be  divided  among  three 
persons,  the  Blackfoot  would  do  his  share  in 
the  early  half  of  the  following  evening,  alter- 
nating with  George,  while  Victor  would  be 
given  rest.  This  plan  was  kept  up  when  Deer- 
foot  was  absent,  so  the  division  of  the  work 
was  as  equitable  as  it  could  be.  When  the 
party  included  four  people  the  arrangement 
was  simpler. 

The  action  of  Mul-tal-la  removed  any  linger- 
ing misgiving  the  boys  may  have  felt.  Had 
the  Blackfoot  been  distrustful  of  the  honor  of 
Black  Elk,  the  Shoshone  chieftain,  he  himself 
would  have  acted  as  sentinel  for  the  first  por- 


A  CALAMITY,  255 

tion  and  probably  throughout  all  the  dark- 
ness; but,  while  the  night  was  still  young,  he 
wrapped  himself  in  his  blanket  and  stretched 
out  to  sleep,  Victor  Shelton  speedily  doing  the 
same. 

Left  to  himself,  George  Shelton  entered  upon 
his  task  in  his  usual  deliberate  manner.  The 
fire  was  replenished  from  the  wood  that  had 
been  gathered,  and  with  his  gun  resting  on  his 
shoulder  he  marked  out  a  beat  over  which  he 
slowly  tramped  to  and  fro.  At  the  middle  of 
the  course  he  moved  in  front  of  the  fire,  so  that 
any  foe  lingering  near  could  have  seen  him 
clearly,  and,  had  he  been  so  disposed,  picked 
off  the  youth  without  risk  to  himself. 

George  at  first  felt  a  natural  shrinking  when 
he  knew  his  form  was  shown  in  relief  against 
the  yellow  background,  but  after  the  pacing 
had  been  kept  up  for  an  hour  or  so  without 
molestation  this  feeling  passed  off,  and  his 
thoughts  became  tranquil.  He  often  peered  into 
the  gloom  which  walled  him  in  on  every  hand, 
pausing  and  listening,  but  hearing  nothing 
unusual.  His  expectation  was  that  some  prowl- 
ing beast  would  be  attracted  by  the  light  of  the 
camp-fire,  but  it  was  the  summer  time,  when 


256  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

they  were  not  likely  to  be  pressed  for  food,  and 
nothing  in  the  nature  of  an  attack  was  to  be 
feared  from  wolves,  bears  or  any  species  of 
forest  creatures. 

The  youth  looked  up  at  the  sky,  which  was 
clear  and  cold.  The  moon  gave  only  slight 
illumination,  and  now  and  then  he  traced  many 
of  the  constellations,  as  he  and  his  brother  had 
often  done  when  at  home  or  when  on  the  trail  in 
the  leafy  solitudes.  He  gazed  at  the  Pleiades, 
which  to  him  and  Victor  were  always  the 
Seven  Stars,  and  again  noted  the  peculiarity 
of  that  beautiful  group  with  which  I  am  sure 
you  are  familiar.  When  you  look  at  the  stars 
fixedly  and  try  to  count,  you  can  see  but  six, 
but  glancing  abruptly  at  them  the  seven  are 
visible.  He  recalled  the  fancy  that  one  of  the 
cluster  was  so  modest  that  when  stared  at  it 
shrinks  from  sight,  to  steal  into  view  again 
after  the  scrutiny  is  removed.  It  seemed  to 
George  that  he  never  looked  at  the  heavens  on 
a  starry  night  without  his  eyes  immediately 
resting  upon  the  Dipper,  as  he  and  his  friends 
called  a  portion  of  the  constellation  of  Ursa 
Major.  Then,  too,  he  traced  the  Little  Dipper, 
located  Orion  and  the  North  Star,  and  in  the 


A  CALAMITY.  257 

loneliness  of  the  hour  mused  upon  the  One  who 
had  launched  all  these  stupendous  orbs  into 
space  and  set  them  spinning  over  their  mighty 
orbits,  as  they  shall  spin  until  time  shall  be 
no  more. 

Who  can  look  at  the  worlds  circling  through 
the  dome  of  heaven  without  being  profoundly 
awed  by  his  own  insignificance  and  the  infinite 
greatness  of  the  Author  of  all  these  marvels? 
How  little  and  mean  seem  the  affairs  of  this 
life  when  we  are  brought  into  such  intimate 
communion  with  the  wonders  that  are  beyond 
the  grasp  of  the  greatest  intellect! 

But  the  hours  wore  on  and  George  was  still 
tramping  to  and  fro  when  he  saw  Victor  sit  up, 
fling  aside  his  blanket  and  rise  to  his  feet. 
Impressed  before  falling  asleep  with  the  duty 
that  awaited  him,  he  awoke  at  the  right  minute 
without  external  help.  The  two  exchanged 
places  after  a  few  words,  during  which  George 
made  known  that  he  had  not  seen  or  heard  any- 
thing to  cause  alarm. 

The  experience  of  Victor  was  quite  similar 
to  that  of  his  brother,  and  when  the  gray  light 
of  the  morning  began  stealing  through  the 
mountains  the  slumber  of  the  Blackfoot  had 

17 


258  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

continued  unbroken.  He  showed  no  surprise 
over  the  report  of  the  boys.  Upon  leaving  the 
camp  of  the  Cas-ta-ba-nas  the  night  before  it 
was  with  a  feeling  of  certainty  that  Black  Elk 
had  carried  out  his  promise  in  spirit  and  letter. 

While  the  boys  bathed  faces  and  hands  in  the 
crystalline  pool,  the  Blackfoot  strolled  off,  bow 
and  arrow  in  hand,  in  search  of  breakfast. 
Wild  turkeys  were  so  plentiful  in  the  mountains 
that  he  soon  came  back  with  a  big,  plump  bird, 
from  which  they  made  their  usual  excellent 
breakfast.  He  told  the  boys  that  the  meal  must 
suffice  until  night,  for  he  did  not  mean  to  halt 
any  longer  than  necessary  to  rest  the  horses. 
Two  meals  a  day  are  enough  for  anybody,  and 
it  is  slight  hardship  for  a  hunter  or  traveler  to 
get  on  with  a  single  repast. 

Soon  after  the  journey  was  resumed  the  trail 
began  to  descend,  but  shortly  rose  again, 
though  not  to  the  same  extent.  The  air  was 
clear  and  sunshiny,  and  before  noon,  despite 
their  elevation,  which  was  not  great,  the  heat 
became  uncomfortable.  To  relieve  the  animals 
and  for  the  sake  of  the  exercise  all  needed,  the 
three  walked  most  of  the  time,  Mul-tal-la  keep- 
ing his  place  at  the  head,  while  the  brothers 
trailed  at  the  rear. 


A  CALAMITY.  259 

It  was  slightly  past  noon  when  they  paused 
to  rest  their  animals.  The  spot  was  in  a 
valley-like  depression,  through  which  wound  a 
stream  of  clear,  cold  water.  A  little  to  the 
right  of  the  trail  this  expanded  into  a  pool  or 
pond  several  rods  across  and  fifteen  or  twenty 
feet  deep.  The  water,  however,  was  so  trans- 
parent that  the  stones  and  pebbles  could  be 
plainly  seen  in  the  deepest  portion. 

The  temptation  was  too  great  to  be  resisted. 
Victor's  eyes  sparkled. 

* '  George,  we  must  "have  a  swim !  I  never 
saw  a  finer  place.  Who'll  be  first  in? " 

The  Blackfoot,  like  most  of  his  race,  was 
much  less  fond  of  water  than  the  Caucasian. 
Mul-tal-la  smiled  at  the  ardor  of  his  young 
friends,  and  remarked  that  he  would  stroll  down 
the  trail  to  refresh  his  memory  as  to  the  route. 
Then  he  passed  out  of  sight,  and  the  boys  were 
left  to  themselves. 

"This  is  a  good  chance  to  do  our  weekly 
washing,"  said  George,  as  they  began  dis- 
robing; "it's  time  we  attended  to  that." 

It  was  the  practice  of  the  boys  and  Deerfoot 
to  look  after  that  indispensable  work  at  regular 
intervals,  for  they  had  not  the  excuse  of  the 


260  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

lack  of  opportunity,  since  rarely  were  they  out 
of  sight  of  water.  So  the  brothers  brought 
their  underclothing  from  the  pack  of  Zigzag 
and  laid  it  on  the  bank  to  don  when  their  swim 
was  over.  Then  they  cleansed  that  which  they 
had  taken  off,  as  well  as  they  could  without  the 
help  of  soap.  I  am  afraid  they  hurried  through 
with  the  task,  for  in  a  very  brief  time  they  were 
frolicking  in  the  icy  water  and  enjoying  them- 
selves as  nobody  in  the  world  can  enjoy  him- 
self unless  he  is  a  rugged  youngster,  overflow- 
ing with  health  and  animal  spirits. 

They  dived  and  swam;  they  splashed  and 
tried  to  duck  each  other;  their  happy  laughter 
rang  out,  and  it  seemed  to  them  as  if  they  could 
do  nothing  finer  than  spend  the  remainder  of 
the  day  in  the  pool.  If  the  first  contact  with 
the  icy  element  gave  them  a  shock,  it  also 
imparted  an  electric  thrill  which  tingled  from 
the  crown  of  the  head  to  the  end  of  the  toes,  and 
made  them  shout  and  cry  out  in  the  wanton 
ecstasy  of  enjoyment. 

But  in  due  time  they  felt  they  had  had 
enough  and  the  moment  had  come  to  don  their 
clothing  again,  leaving  that  which  had  been 
washed  spread  out  and  drying  in  the  sunlight. 


A  CALAMITY.  26* 

They  reluctantly  emerged  from  the  pool  and 
gingerly  picked  their  way  over  the  pebbles. 

Victor  was  a  few  paces  in  advance.  His 
brother  was  in  the  act  of  leaving  the  water 
when  Victor  uttered  an  exclamation : 

" Great  Caesar,  George!  Somebody  has 
stolen  our  clothes!" 


CHAPTER  XX. 

OLD  FRIENDS. 

"~  T  can't  be, ' '  gasped  the  mystified  George ; 


I 


'you're  mistaken." 
"Come  and  see  for  yourself;  where 
did  you  leave  your  clothes?" 

"Over  there  on  top  of  that  boulder/'  replied 
George,  coming  forward  and  staring  at  the 
object  named. 

"Well,  do  you  see  them  noiv?" 

"Maybe  the  wind  blew  them  off,"  weakly 
suggested  the  other,  although  he  knew  such  a 
thing  was  impossible,  for  there  had  not  been  a 
breath  of  air  stirring  for  hours. 

The  two  'made  careful  search.  Not  a  stitch 
of  their  garments  was  to  be  seen. 

"And  the  thieves  have  taken  those  we  spread 
out  to  dry.  Aren't  we  in  a  pretty  fix?  We'll 
have  to  travel  naked  until  we  can  kill  a  bear  or 
two  and  rob  them  of  their  hides." 

"Who  was  the  thief?"  was  the  superfluous 
query  of  George,  staring  here  and  there  in 

262 


OLD  FRIENDS.  263 

quest  of  the  wretch  who  had  done  this  "low 
down"  thing.  "You  don't  suppose  it  was  Mul- 
tal-la?" 

"No ;  how  could  it  be?  "What  would  he  want 
of  our  clothes  1  We  saw  him  go  down  the  trail ; 
I  don't  believe  he  is  within  a  mile  of  us." 

"Maybe  Black  Elk  and  his  warriors  have 
been  following  and  waiting  for  a  chance  of  this 
kind." 

Victor  shook  his  head.  The  thought  was 
preposterous. 

"He  couldn't  have  known  there  would  be  any 
such  chance,  and  if  he  wanted  to  do  us  harm  he 
would  have  done  it  long  ago.  B-r-r-r-r!  I'm 
cold ! ' '  muttered  the  lad  with  a  shiver. 

The  matter  was  becoming  serious,  for  if  their 
clothing  was  gone  they  were  in  a  woeful  plight 
indeed.  You  will  bear  in  mind  that  coats, 
trousers,  caps,  stockings,  shoes — everything 
had  disappeared.  The  theft  included  the 
underclothing  that  had  been  removed  and 
cleansed  by  the  boys,  as  well  as  the  extra  suits 
taken  from  the  pack  carried  by  Zigzag.  Since 
these  made  up  the  only  two  undersuits  owned 
by  the  brothers,  you  will  admit  that  their  situa- 
tion could  not  have  been  more  cheerless. 


264  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

A  curious  fact  was  that  their  guns  had  not 
been  disturbed,  though  both  were  left  leaning 
against  the  boulder  on  which  the  clothing  was 
laid,  and  must  therefore  have  been  seen  by  the 
rogue. 

"We'll  have  to  go  into  the  water  to  get  warm 
again,"  said  Victor,  with  folded  arms,  bent 
form  and  rattling  teeth.  "I  don't  see  that  we 
can  do  anything  but  wait  till  Mul-tal-la  comes 
back." 

"What  can  he  do?" 

"If  he  can't  find  our  clothes  he  can  go  out 
and  rob  some  bears  or  other  wild  animals  of 
theirs,  and  let  us  have  'em" 

George  Shelton  caught  a  flying  glimpse  of 
a  tightly  rolled  bundle  of  clothing  which  at  that 
instant  shot  through  the  air  and,  striking  Vic- 
tor in  the  back  of  the  neck,  sent  him  sprawling 
on  his  hands  and  knees.  George  turned  to  see 
the  point  whence  came  the  pack,  and  at  the 
same  instant  a  similar  one  landed  full  in  his 
face  and  knocked  him  backward.  But  he  had 
caught  sight  of  Deerfoot,  the  Shawanoe,  who 
rose  from  the  farther  side  of  an  adjoining 
boulder,  and  both  heard  his  chuckle,  for  he  could 
not  resist  the  temptation  of  having  a  little  fun 
at  the  expense  of  the  brothers. 


OLD  FRIENDS.  265 

"We  might  have  known  it  was  you/9  ex- 
claimed Victor,  clambering  to  his  feet  and  pro- 
ceeding to  untie  the  knots  in  his  shirt  and 
drawers,  and  finding  it  no  slight  task. 

"We  won't  forget  this,"  added  George, 
warningly ;  ' l  you  think  you  are  very  smart,  but 
well  catch  you  some  time  when  you  are  not 
watching. ' ' 

Deerf oot  was  shaking  with  merriment,  and  as 
he  came  forward  he  said : 

"My  brothers  need  not  wear  bare-skins  as 
they  feared  they  would  have  to  do. ' ' 

(This  is  the  only  pun  of  which  we  have  any 
record  that  was  ever  made  by  Deerf  oot.) 

The  shivering  lads  began  donning  their 
clothing,  and  then  shook  hands  with  their 
friend.  The  meeting  was  a  happy  one.  The 
Shawanoe  was  as  glad  to  see  them  as  they  were 
to  meet  him,  whom  they  had  missed  more  than 
they  had  ever  supposed  could  be  possible.  He 
told  them  he  had  nursed  Whirlwind  until  his 
lameness  was  gone,  when  he  set  out  at  a 
leisurely  pace  to  overtake  his  friends.  On  the 
way  he  fell  in  with  Black  Elk,  the  Shoshone 
chief,  and  spent  several  hours  in  his  company* 
Though  it  was  not  easy  for  the  two  to  under- 


266  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

stand  each  other,  they  managed  to  do  so  through 
the  universal  sign  language  to  the  extent  that 
the  Shawanoe  learned  that  the  chieftain  had 
acted  the  part  of  a  friend  to  the  Blackfoot  and 
the  boys  when  they  were  in  danger  from  a 
roving  band  of  Cas-ta-ba-nas.  So,  knowing  all 
was  well,  Deerfoot  had  not  hurried  to  overtake 
the  party  in  advance. 

"Where's  Whirlwind ?"  asked  Victor,  while 
hastily  dressing  himself. 

"He  is  modest,"  replied  Deerfoot.  "When 
my  brothers  are  clad  to  receive  company  he  will 
come  forward  to  greet  them." 

"Seems  to  me  you're  getting  mighty  particu- 
lar, Deerfoot." 

It  took  the  boys  but  a  short  time  to  dress, 
when,  after  hopping  about  for  a  minute  or  two, 
to  restore  their  numbed  circulation,  they 
became  comfortable.  Being  satisfied  with  an 
inspection,  Deerfoot  emitted  a  sharp  whistle. 
It  was  immediately  answered  by  a  neigh,  and 
the  next  moment  the  magnificent  black  stallion 
trotted  into  view  around  a  bend  in  the  trail  and 
approached  the  party.  Proud  as  ever,  he  paid 
no  attention  to  the  other  horses,  who  raised 
their  heads  and  saluted  him  as  he  came  in  view. 


OLD  FRIENDS.  267 

Halting  a  few  paces  away,  he  looked  at  his 
master  as  if  awaiting  his  commands. 

"Cannot  Whirlwind  bow  to  his  friends  1" 
gravely  asked  the  Shawanoe;  "since  they  are 
not  polite  enough  to  salute  him,  let  him  teach 
them  what  is  right. " 

The  horse  bent  his  head  forward,  drawing 
in  his  nose  slightly  and  making  a  graceful 
obeisance. 

"This  is  George  Shelton;  my  brother  does 
not  know  much,  but  he  means  well." 

Whirlwind  stepped  slowly  forward  and  then 
sank  on  one  knee.  It  was  the  one  that  had  been 
lame,  but  it  was  now  as  strong  as  ever. 

"This  is  my  brother  Victor;  he  means  well 
sometimes,  but  my  brother  must  not  be  trusted 
too  far." 

"I  wonder  that  he  pays  us  any  attention 
after  the  character  you  have  given  us," 
remarked  Victor,  who  nevertheless  bowed  low 
to  the  salutation  of  the  stallion. 

Deerfoot  now  gave  a  striking  demonstration 
of  the  intelligence  of  Whirlwind  and  of  the 
training  which  he  had  received  during  the  com- 
paratively brief  time  that  he  and  his  master 
had  been  alone  together.  Not  looking  at  him, 
the  Shawanoe  addressed  Victor: 


268  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

"Deerfoot  would  be  glad  if  Whirlwind  would 
stand  up  for  him. ' ' 

That  the  stallion  understood  these  words  was 
proved  by  his  instantly  rising  as  nearly  erect 
as  possible  on  his  hind  feet. 

"Now  let  him  give  my  brother's  handker- 
chief to  his  brother." 

Whirlwind  thrust  his  nose  forward  and  began 
fumbling  about  the  breast  of  Victor.  In  a 
moment  he  drew  his  handkerchief  from  an 
inside  pocket,  stepped  across  to  the  pleased  and 
wondering  George,  and  shoved  it  into  his  coat. 

"That  gives  my -brother  two  handkerchiefs. 
It  is  not  right.  Let  Whirlwind  put  the  first 
one  back  where  it  belongs." 

Without  hesitation  the  animal  obeyed. 

"The  gun  leaning  against  the  rock — the  one 
nearest  us — belongs  to  my  brother  Victor.  He 
is  lazy;  therefore  let  Whirlwind  bring  it  to 
him." 

The  stallion  walked  the  few  steps  necessary, 
turned  his  head  sideways  and,  grasping  the 
rifle  of  Victor  near  its  stock  in  his  teeth, 
brought  it  to  the  amazed  youth. 

"Now  make  him  bring  mine  to  me,"  said 
George. 


OLD  FRIENDS.  269 

"No;  he  has  done  enough  of  that;  get  it  for 
yourself.  Now,  Whirlwind,  Deerfoot  is  pleased 
with  you;  come  forward  and  kiss  him." 

The  horse  walked  up  in  front  of  the  Shawa- 
noe,  thrust  out  his  tongue  and  licked  his  cheek. 
His  master  kissed  his  nose,  patted  his  neck  and 
spoke  endearingly  to  him.  There  could  be  no 
question  that  the  wonderful  animal  was  happy 
and  proud  in  the  affection  of  his  master,  who, 
in  his  way,  was  more  remarkable  than  he,  since 
he  had  taught  him  all  this. 

"Only  one  thing  i s- lacking, "  remarked  Vic- 
tor, after  he  and  George  had  expressed  their 
amazement;  "you  ought  to  teach  him  to  talk." 

1 '  Though  he  may  not  use  words  like  men,  yet 
he  can  make  his  meaning  known  to  Deerfoot, 
and  that  is  enough." 

"There  isn't  any  doubt  about  his  knowing 
what  you  say.  You  ought  to  teach  him  to  be 
more  considerate  of  the  feelings  of  Bug  and 
Jack  and  Prince  and  Zigzag.  He  doesn't  seem 
to  care  anything  for  them." 

"Whirlwind  has  the  right  to  treat  those  of 
his  kind  as  he  pleases.  None  of  them  is  his 
equal.  Deerfoot  is  glad  to  see  how  careful  he 
is  of  his  company.  If  he  is  willing  to  notice 


270  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

my  brothers, "   added  the   Shawanoe   with   a 
smile,  "isn't  that  enough?" 

It  was  at  this  juncture  that  the  stallion  gave 
the  most  remarkable  proof  of  his  intelligence 
that  had  yet  been  seen.  It  almost  struck  the 
boys  dumb  with  astonishment. 

You  remember  that  after  washing  their 
underclothing  they  spread  them  out  on  the 
ground  to  dry  in  the  sun.  Deerfoot  brought 
the  garments  from  where  he  had  hid  them  and 
again  spread  them  out.  They  had  lain  a  con- 
siderable time,  and  Victor  was  about  to  inspect 
them  to  see  if  the  moisture  had  evaporated,  but 
Deerfoot  checked  him.  Addressing  the  stallion 
he  said: 

"Let  Whirlwind  examine  the  clothes  lying  on 
the  ground ;  if  they  are  dry,  he  will  hand  them 
to  my  brothers;  if  they  are  wet,  he  will  leave 
them  lie  where  they  are." 

Victor's  first  fear  was  that  the  brute  was 
about  to  chew  up  his  garments,  for  he  closed 
his  teeth  in  a  corner  of  his  shirt,  held  it  a 
moment,  sniffing  at  it,  and  then  came  over  and 
laid  it  at  the  feet  of  the  youth.  Of  course  he 
could  not  know  that  the  article  belonged  to  this 
lad,  for  he  had  not  been  told. 


OLD  FRIENDS.  271 

He  returned  and  in  the  same  manner  picked 
up  the  other  garment  belonging  to  Victor  and 
started  to  lay  that  also  at  his  feet.  After  a 
single  pace  he  stopped,  shook  his  head  and 
flung  the  article  back  where  it  had  been  lying. 

"That  isn't  quite  dry  enough,"  said  the  won- 
dering and  laughing  owner.  "I  wonder  how 
it  is  with  your  clothes,  George. " 

Precisely  the  same  thing  was  repeated  with 
the  underclothing  belonging  to  George  Shelton. 
One  garment  was  dry,  but  the  other  retained  a 
little  dampness,  which,  however,  would  soon 
disappear. 

" Don't  ask  him  to  do  anything  more,"  said 
Victor;  "I  shall  be  scared.  It  does  seem  that 
such  animals  should  have  souls." 

"Deerfoot  is  sure  they  have,"  replied  the 
Shawanoe  with  deep  feeling. 

Deerfoot  now  told  Whirlwind  to  leave  them 
for  the  time.  He  strolled  off  to  the  more 
abundant  growth  of  grass  on  the  other  side  of 
the  trail.  The  three  watched  him  amusedly, 
and  noticed  that  he  kept  apart  from  the  other 
horses.  He  was  a  born  aristocrat,  and  always 
would  remain  so. 

Zigzag  was  munching  and  looked  up  at  the 


272  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

stallion,  as  if  he  felt  like  renewing  the  acquaint- 
ance that  had  not  been  of  a  very  pleasing  char- 
acter. He  kept  an  eye  on  Whirlwind,  and  when 
he  began  cropping  the  grass  Zigzag  had  the 
temerity  to  try  to  join  him.  Before  he  reached 
the  stallion,  however,  he  received  too  plain  a 
hint  to  disregard.  Whirlwind  deliberately 
faced  the  other  way,  thus  placing  his  heels 
toward  the  horse,  so  as  to  be  ready  for  use  when 
Zigzag  came  within  reach.  The  latter  paused, 
looked  reproachfully  at  Whirlwind,  and  then 
solemnly  walked  back  to  his  former  companions. 
The  snubbing  was  as  emphatic  as  the  former 
and  was  sufficient. 

A  few  minutes  later  Mul-tal-la  came  in  sight 
and  joined  his  friends.  All  sat  down  on  the 
boulders  and  exchanged  experiences.  Deer- 
foot  had  little  to  tell  that  was  of  interest.  He 
was  not  disturbed  by  the  cloudburst,  and  his 
occupation  while  absent  from  his  friends  had 
been,  as  he  stated,  the  looking  after  and  train- 
ing of  Whirlwind.  The  animal  recovered  from 
his  lameness  sooner  than  his  master  expected, 
and  the  latter  could  have  rejoined  his  com- 
panions sooner,  but  he  spent  hours  in  "  getting 
acquainted "  with  his  prize  and  in  training  him 


OLD  FRIENDS,  273 

to  understand  the  words  spoken  to  him.  It  has 
already  been  told  that  some  of  the  commands 
of  Deerfoot  were  uttered  in  a  mixture  of  lan- 
guages, or  rather  in  no  language  at  all,  the  object 
being  to  throw  difficulties  in  the  way  of  anyone 
who  might  possibly  gain  possession  of  the  stal- 
lion for  a  time. 

The  Blackfoot  gave  it  as  his  belief  that  they 
would  have  no  further  trouble  with  people  of  his 
own  race.  They  were  approaching  the  Black- 
foot  country,  and,  though  some  of  the  tribes 
through  whose  grounds  they  must  yet  pass 
warred  with  one  another,  there  was  no  hostility 
between  any  of  them  and  the  Blackfeet,  unless 
it  had  broken  out  during  the  absence  of  Mul- 
tal-la,  which  was  not  likely. 

While  the  friends  were  holding  this  familiar 
converse,  the  Blackfoot  thought  the  time  had 
come  to  warn  them  against  a  danger  they  were 
likely  to  be  called  upon  to  face,  though  it  had 
not  presented  itself  as  yet.  He  told  them  of 
a  species  of  bear,  sometimes  seen  farther  north, 
which  was  of  such  enormous  size  and  ferocity 
that  no  single  hunter  dare  fight  him  alone.  Mul- 
tal-la  said  that  he  and  three  of  his  people  had 
had  such  a  fight,  with  disastrous  results  to  the 

18 


274  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

Blackfeet.  Two  of  the  latter  had  guns,  which, 
though  of  an  antique  pattern,  were  effective 
and  would  have  quickly  killed  an  ordinary 
animal.  The  bear  was  shot  repeatedly,  but  he 
slew  one  of  the  warriors  who  had  firearms  and 
wounded  another  so  badly  that  he  died  a  few 
weeks  later.  And  in  the  end  the  bear  got  away, 
apparently  none  the  worse  because  of  the  bul- 
lets and  arrows  that  were  driven  into  his  body. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 
PRESSING  NORTHVARD. 

YOU  know,  of  course,  that  the  Blackfoot 
was  describing  the  grizzly  bear,  though 
he  did  not  call  it  by  that  name,  any  more 
than  he  referred  to  the  Rocky  Mountains  as 
such.  George  and  Victor  were  inclined  to 
think  that  Mul-tal-la  was  exaggerating,  for  it 
was  hard  to  believe"  that  so  formidable  a 
creature  existed.  They  had  learned  in  Ohio 
and  Kentucky  that  no  brute  traversed  the  soli- 
tudes that  could  not  be  slain  by  a  single  bullet 
if  rightly  directed,  and  several  bullets,  even 
when  not  aimed  at  the  most  vulnerable  point, 
were  generally  sufficient  to  do  the  business. 

Deerfoot,  however,  was  impressed  by  the 
words  of  his  friend.  He  had  hunted  with  Mul- 
tal-la  long  enough  to  know  his  bravery  and 
skill.  He  knew  that  if  he  entered  any  conflict 
with  man  or  beast  he  would  give  a  good  account 
of  himself.  It  was  certain  that  he  had  put  up 
a  sturdy  fight  with  his  companions,  but  the  fact 

275 


276  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

that  a  single  animal  had  defeated  the  four  and 
slain  two  proved  that  he  must  have  been  a  for- 
midable monster  indeed. 

When  Mul-tal-la,  after  answering  further 
questions,  gave  it  as  his  belief  that  they  were 
likely  to  meet  one  or  more  of  these  terrors,  the 
eyes  of  Deerfoot  sparkled.  He  dearly  hoped 
that  such  an  encounter  would  take  place,  for 
he  could  never  forget  the  ecstatic  thrill  of  a 
fight  in  which  all  his  unequalled  prowess  had 
to  be  brought  into  play. 

But  the  Shawanoe  saw  the  danger  that 
threatened  the  boys.  Inasmuch  as  all  four 
were  likely  to  be  separated  for  hours  at  a  time 
while  on  their  journey,  it  might  fall  to  the  lot 
of  George  and  Victor  to  meet  a  grizzly  bear. 
If  so,  the  most  natural  thing  for  them  to  do 
would  be  to  open  hostilities  at  once.  Deerfoot 
warned  them  against  such  fatal  rashness. 

"My  brothers  must  not  try  to  shoot  or  hurt 
the  bear  unless  they  have  no  other  way  of 
saving  themselves. " 

"What  shall  we  do?"  asked  Victor. 

"Run  as  hard  as  my  brothers  can." 

"Victor  is  mighty  good  at  that.  You  don't 
know  how  fast  he  can  run,  Deerfoot." 


PRESSING  NORTHWARD.  277 

The  Shawanoe  looked  inquiringly  at  George, 
who  at  that  moment  caught  a  warning  grimace 
from  his  brother.  Deerfoot  saw  the  by-play 
and  had  his  own  suspicions,  but  kept  them  to 
himself.  He  was  determined  to  learn  the  truth 
from  Mul-tal-la,  and  he  did  so  before  the  close 
of  day. 

The  halt  had  already  extended  beyond  the 
time  set  by  the  Blackfoot,  and  the  journey  was 
now  taken  up  and  pushed  till  night.  Mul-tal-la 
kept  in  the  lead,  with  the  Shawanoe  next  and 
the  boys  at  the  rear.  When  the  afternoon  drew 
to  a  close  they  were  well  through  the  narrow 
portion  of  the  range  and  among  the  foothills 
on  the  farther  side.  Although  the  country  was 
broken  and  rough  in  many  places,  the  traveling 
was  not  difficult,  and  the  party  hoped  to  make 
good  progress  until  at  the  end  of  a  few  days 
they  would  again  enter  a  mountainous  region. 
This  would  take  a  long  time  to  traverse,  and 
when  it  was  passed  they  would  be  on  the  border 
of  the  Blackfoot  country,  though  still  a  long 
way  from  the  Pacific. 

That  night  Mul-tal-la  and  Deerfoot  shared 
the  watch  between  them,  the  boys  resting  undis- 
turbed throughout  the  darkness.  The  weather 


278  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

remained  clear,  and  at  an  early  hour  they  were 
on  the  road  again  and  pressing  forward  with 
vigor.  The  Blackfoot  showed  that  peculiarity 
which  comes  to  many  in  drawing  near  their  des- 
tination; the  closer  he  approached  to  home  the 
greater  became  his  haste. 

The  following  day  the  boys  met  a  pleasant 
experience.  At  the  noon  halt,  while  Mul-tal-la 
and  Deerfoot  were  sitting  on  a  fallen  tree  and 
talking,  with  the  horses  browsing  near,  George 
and  Victor  wandered  off  to  look  for  fruit. 
They  had  seen  some  of  it  earlier  in  the  fore- 
noon, but  it  was  too  unripe  to  be  edible.  After 
living  so  long  on  meat  they  felt  a  natural  crav- 
ing for  lighter  food.  The  Blackfoot  told  them 
they  ought  to  find  that  for  which  they  were 
hunting,  for  they  were  in  a  region  where  fruit 
was  plentiful  and  the  season  was  now  far 
enough  advanced  for  some  of  it  to  be  ripe. 

George  was  the  first  to  succeed  in  the  hunt. 
A  shout  brought  his  brother  to  his  side.  George 
was  busy  among  some  bushes  that  were  crimson 
with  wild  currants,  and  he  was  picking  and  eat- 
ing them  greedily. 

" Better  not  eat  too  many,"  warned  Victor, 
proceeding  straightway  to  violate  his  own 


PRESSING  NORTHVARD.  279 

advice.    "You  know  we  are  not  used  to  this 
kind  of  stuff,  and  it  may  play  the  mischief  with 


us." 


"If  I  ate  as  much  as  you  I  should  expect  to 
die,"  was  the  rather  ungracious  response  of 
George,  who  nevertheless  heeded  the  counsel 
and  began  searching  further  for  some  other 
kind  of  fruit  that  had  less  acidity. 

He  succeeded  sooner  than  he  expected,  for  he 
ran  directly  into  a  growth  of  raspberries,  man£ 
of  which  were  purplish  black  in  color,  soft,  mild 
and  delicious  to  the  palate.  He  called  to  Vic- 
tor and  the  two  enjoyed  a  veritable  feast.  In 
the  midst  of  it  they  were  joined  by  Mul-tal-la 
and  Deerfoot,  who  partook  as  bountifully  as 
they.  Later  in  the  season  they  found  an 
abundance  of  plums,  wild  apples  and  no  end  of 
mulberries. 

The  journey  continued  for  several  days  with- 
out special  incident.  When  they  reached  the 
stream  now  known  as  the  Great  Horn  they 
faced  a  serious  problem.  The  current  was 
rapid  and  deep,  coursing  violently  between  high 
ridges,  some  of  which  were  so  lofty  that  a  regu- 
lar canon  was  formed.  Mul-tal-la  said  they  had 
come  upon  this  river  a  considerable  distance 


280  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

above  the  place  where  he  and  his  companion 
forded  it,  and  on  the  suggestion  of  Deerfoot 
he  began  searching  for  the  ford  or  ferry,  as  it 
might  prove.  When  nightfall  came  it  had  not 
been  found,  and  the  Blackfoot  expressed  doubts 
of  his  being  able  to  locate  it. 

This  unexpected  difficulty  gave  Whirlwind 
an  opportunity  to  display  his  skill  and  intelli- 
gence. The  party  had  paused  at  a  place  where 
the  stream  was  a  hundred  feet  or  more  in  width, 
and  with  the  current  so  roiled  that  there  was 
no  way,  except  by  actual  test,  of  ascertaining 
its  depth.  By  hard  work  the  horses  might  be 
able  to  swim  or  work  their  way  across,  but  the 
necessity  of  taking  care  of  the  property  on  the 
back  of  Zigzag  added  to  the  difficulty.  It  was 
important  that  it  should  be  protected  from  wet- 
ting. It  would  take  a  long  time  to  build  a 
raft  on  which  to  carry  the  stuff  to  the  other 
side,  and  even  then  there  would  be  risk  of  its 
being  swept  down  stream.  A  dull  roar  that 
came  to  the  ears  of  our  friends  through  the  soli- 
tude showed  that  there  were  falls  or  violent 
rapids  at  no  great  distance  below,  into  which 
the  raft  would  be  likely  to  be  driven  with  the 
loss  or  irreparable  injury  of  much  of  the  mer- 
chandise. 


PRESSING  NORTHWARD.  281 

Deerfoot  was  disposed  at  first  to  divide  this 
among  the  four,  who  could  hold  the  articles 
above  their  heads  while  their  horses  were  swim- 
ming, but  he  distrusted  the  ability  of  the  boys 
to  do  their  part. 

The  important  thing  was  to  learn  the  depth 
of  the  stream.  He  therefore  asked  Whirlwind 
to  cross  to  the  other  rocky  bank.  If  he  could 
do  this  without  swimming  all  difficulty  was 
removed.  The  stallion  was  quick  to  under- 
stand the  request  made  of  him,  though  it  is 
hardly  to  be  supposed  that  he  comprehended 
its  full  significance.  When  told  to  enter  the 
stream  he  did  so  with  only  natural  hesitation, 
feeling  his  way  as  his  kind  do  when  the  ground 
in  front  is  uncertain. 

All  attentively  watched  the  noble  animal  as 
he  waded  out  into  the  swift  current,  his  foot- 
hold firm  and  strong.  The  water  crept  higher 
and  higher,  and  when  the  middle  was  reached 
it  touched  his  body.  This  was  encouraging,  but 
the  channel  might  run  close  to  the  farther  shore, 
and  none  breathed  freely  until  the  depth  was 
seen  to  be  decreasing.  Finally  the  steed 
stepped  out  without  once  having  been  in  water 
that  was  four  feet  deep,  and  at  no  point,  despite 


282  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

the  velocity  of  the  current,  did  he  have  serious 
trouble  in  keeping  upright. 

"No  place  for  crossing  could  be  better, "  said 
the  pleased  Shawanoe.  "Here  we  will  pass 
to  the  other  side." 

He  whistled  to  Whirlwind,  who  instantly 
stepped  into  the  water  again,  and  came  back 
much  more  quickly  than  he  had  gone  over.  His 
master  leaped  on  his  back,  and,  giving  the  word 
to  his  horse,  led  the  way,  with  Mul-tal-la  almost 
at  his  side. 

"It  will  be  just  like  Zigzag  to  take  a  notion 
to  roll  when  he  gets  out  there,"  said  Victor,  as 
he  drove  the  packhorse  in  ahead  of  him. 

"If  he  does  it  will  be  the  worst  roll  of  his 
life,"  replied  George,  who  half  feared  the  stub- 
born animal  would  try  to  do  something  of  that 
nature.  But,  of  course,  Zigzag  had  too  much 
sense  to  attempt  anything  of  the  kind.  Indeed. 
he  did  his  part  so  faithfully  that  he  emerged 
from  the  river  with  his  load  as  intact  as  at  the 
beginning. 

Matters  were  not  pleasant  that  night.  No 
food  had  been  eaten  since  morning,  for  Deer- 
foot  and  Mul-tal-la  had  come  to  look  upon  the 
noonday  halt  as  solely  for  the  horses.  It  was 


PRESSING  NORTHVARD.  283 

a  waste  of  time  to  hunt  and  prepare  a  dinner, 
and  it  had  not  been  done  since  Deerfoot  last 
joined  the  party.  The  expectation,  however, 
was  that  of  having  an  evening  meal,  which  was 
welcome  after  the  long  day's  ride. 

Although  passing  through  a  country  abound- 
ing with  game,  our  friends  could  not  catch  sight 
during  the  afternoon  of  elk,  deer,  bison  or  even 
a  wild  turkey.  It  was  as  if  those  creatures 
knew  of  the  coming  of  the  strangers  and  kept 
out  of  their  way.  It  was  not  a  good  season 
to  fish,  though  it  was_  not  so  long  since  several 
meals  had  been  made  upon  them.  Still,  more 
for  the  sake  of  the  boys  than  himself  and  Mul- 
tal-la,  the  Shawanoe  brought  out  the  lines  with1 
a  view  to  trying  his  luck  in  the  Great  Horn,  but 
he  was  unable  to  find  any  bait.  Both  he  and 
the  Blackfoot  searched  until  the  growing  dark- 
ness stopped  them,  without  finding  so  much  as 
an  angleworm  or  any  insect  that  could  serve 
them  to  help  woo  the  inhabitants  of  the  river  to 
shore.  Still  more,  the  ground  was  so  rough, 
broken  and  overgrown  that  the  horses  were 
unable  to  do  any  better  than  their  masters  in 
the  way  of  food. 

And  this  was  not  the  worst.    They  had  been 


284  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

pestered  by  mosquitoes  through  the  day,  and 
at  night  the  insects  swarmed  about  the  camp  by 
the  millions,  tormenting  animals  as  well  as  men. 
The  poor  beasts  stamped  the  ground,  switched 
their  tails,  bit  and  kicked,  and  at  times  were 
on  the  point  of  breaking  off  and  dashing  into 
the  solitude.  It  was  the  turn  of  George  Shel- 
ton  to  stand  guard  throughout  the  first  portion 
of  the  night,  and  of  Victor  to  act  for  the  remain- 
der of  the  hours  of  darkness.  Deerfoot  told 
them  that  inasmuch  as  none  could  sleep  with 
comfort  he  would  mount  guard  and  divide  the 
watch  with  Mul-tal-la.  The  boys  did  not  sus- 
pect what  was  the  truth — that  the  kind-hearted 
Shawanoe  did  this  out  of  consideration  for 
them. 

Only  partial  relief  was  obtained  by  the 
recourse  of  travelers  caught  in  such  a  trying 
situation.  By  enveloping  themselves  in  the 
smoke  of  the  fire  until  it  was  hard  to  breathe, 
they  managed  to  fight  off  the  pests  for  a  part 
of  the  time.  When  the  boys  lay  down  each  left 
only  the  point  of  his  nose  obtruding  from  the 
folds  of  the  blanket.  Even  then  that  organ  was 
punctured  as  by  innumerable  needle  points,  and 
most  of  the  time  was  spent  in  slapping  at  the 
torturing  insects. 


PRESSING  NORTHWARD.  2*5 

There  must  have  been  a  score  of  porcupines 
which  busied  themselves  nosing  about  the  camp 
in  search  of  food.  They  were  so  familiar  that 
in  moving  around  one  had  to  be  careful  to  avoid 
stepping  on  the  prickly  things.  They  did  not 
molest  our  friends,  but  their  society  was  any- 
thing but  agreeable.  Victor  expressed  himself 
as  envious  of  the  protection  nature  had  given 
these  things  against  the  mosquitoes. 

Amid  these  trials  Deerfoot  and  George  Shel- 
ton  felt  grateful  over  a  fact  that  had  become 
apparent  long  before.  It  has  been  shown  that 
from  the  very  hour  when  it  was  agreed  that 
Victor  should  form  one  of  the  little  party  to 
cross  the  continent,  he  began  rallying  from  the 
decline  into  which  he  was  rapidly  settling,  and 
which  threatened  his  life.  Except  for  some 
such  radical  change  he  must  have  been  crushed 
by  the  incubus  that  was  bearing  him  to  earth. 
But  the  rough  out-door  days  and  nights  had 
wrought  their  beneficent  work.  He  had 
regained  his  former  vigor  and  rugged  health, 
and  even  before  they  crossed  the  Mississippi 
was  his  old  self  again.  True,  moments  of  sad 
depression  came  to  him  during  the  lonely 
watches,  when  his  grief  over  the  loss  of  his 


Z86  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

parent  brought  tears  to  his  eyes  and  made  him 
sigh  for  the  sweet  companionship  that  could 
never  again  be  his  in  this  world. 

It  is  a  blessed  provision  that,  if  time  cannot 
fully  heal  all  wounds,  it  can  soften  the  pangs 
that  otherwise  would  make  existence  one  long 
misery  and  sorrow. 


CHAPTER  XXIL 

A  CHANGE  OF  PLAN. 

THE   summer  was   well   advanced  when 
Mul-tal-la,   Deerfoot   and  the   Shelton 
boys  drew  rein  in  the  Eocky  Mountains, 
south  of  the  stream  known  as  Medicine  River, 
and  far  to  the  northward  of  the  headwaters  of 
the  Yellowstone. 

They  had  had  a  hard  time  in  reaching  this 
point  on  their  long  journey.  Numerous 
streams  had  been  crossed,  deep  and  dangerous 
defiles  threaded,  treacherous  paths  followed, 
and  several  accidents  encountered.  Once  in 
following  a  narrow,  winding  path  leading 
around  a  vast  mountain  wall,  Zigzag  lost  his 
footing  and  rolled  over  several  times  in  his 
descent  to  the  bottom,  fully  fifty  feet  below. 
Deerfoot  and  Mul-tal-la  hurriedly  scrambled 
after  him  in  order  to  recover  the  goods  and  to 
put  the  animal  out  of  his  misery.  When  they 
reached  Zigzag  they  found  him  standing  on  his 
feet,  with  his  pack  somewhat  askew,  but  seem- 

287 


288  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

ingly  suffering  from  only  a  few  trifling  bruises. 
He  was  extricated  with  much  labor  from  his 
position,  and  resumed  his  plodding  task.  One 
fact  was  evident;  he  knew  more  than  he  did 
before,  and  nothing  in  the  nature  of  a  similar 
mishap  occurred  again. 

The  mosquitoes  still  pestered  our  friends  at 
times,  but  not  to  the  degree  that  they  suffered 
on  the  shore  of  the  Great  Horn.  Once  or  twice 
they  were  pinched  with  hunger,  but  to  no  serious 
extent.  They  were  now  comparatively  close  to 
the  Blackfoot  country,  and,  if  all  went  well, 
ought  to  reach  it  within  a  week.  In  fact,  as 
Mul-tal-la  declared,  they  were  liable  to  meet 
some  of  the  hunting  parties  of  his  people  at  any 
time. 

On  the  night  succeeding  this  statement  two 
mounted  Blackfeet,  from  the  principal  village, 
rode  into  camp  and  greeted  the  travelers.  The 
couple  were  old  acquaintances  of  Mul-tal-la, 
and,  as  may  be  supposed,  the  meeting  was  pleas- 
ant indeed.  Deerfoot's  friend  had  an  absorb- 
ing story  to  tell  of  his  experiences  during  the 
year  that  he  had  been  as  far  removed  from  his 
own  people  as  if  out  of  the  world.  They  lis- 
tened like  a  couple  of  children  enthralled  by  a 


A  CHANGE  OF  PLAN.  289 

marvelous  fairy  tale,  and  would  have  sat  in 
delighted  attention  the  night  through  had  their 
old  comrade  been  willing  to  keep  up  the  thread 
of  his  narrative,  whose  charm  could  never  pall 
for  them. 

They  were  astonished  to  find  the  young 
Shawanoe  able  to  speak  their  own  tongue  like 
one  of  themselves,  and  when  Mul-tal-la  dwelt 
upon  the  prowess,  wisdom,  chivalry  and  daring 
of  the  youth,  they  stared  at  him  as  if  he 
belonged  to  another  order  of  beings.  Mul- 
tal-la  would  have  told  much  more  of  his  friend 
had  not  the  youth  checked  him  with  a  sternness 
that  the  Blackf  oot  dared  not  disregard. 

The  visitors  were  very  friendly  and  George 
and  Victor  Shelton  were  much  pleased  with 
them.  They  got  on  quite  well  through  the  lan- 
guage of  signs,  and  the  warriors  were  again 
amazed  when  they  heard  their  countryman 
speak  to  the  lads  in  their  own  language.  It 
must  have  been  a  marvelous  country  and  people 
that  sent  the  youths  forth,  and  which  had  been 
visited  by  Mul-tal-la.  It  was  plain  that  the 
couple,  when  they  sighed  and  looked  into  each 
other's  face,  longed  for  the  same  experience 
that  had  befallen  their  countryman. 

19 


290  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

But  with  all  this  Mul-tal-la  had  also  a  sad 
story  to  tell.  He  had  left  home  with  a  com- 
panion, but  returned  without  him.  It  was 
a  strange  accident  that  overtook  that  comrade 
after  he  had  surmounted  so  many  perils,  but 
his  body  rested  many  hundreds  of  miles  away 
in  a  wondrous  country,  and  his  friends  must 
wait  to  see  him  until  he  and  they  met  in  the 
happy  hunting  grounds  that  are  the  final  home 
of  all  true  and  brave  red  men. 

This  visit  caused  an  important  change  in  the 
plans  of  Deerfoot  and  Mul-tal-la.  As  you 
know,  the  party  had  been  steadily  following  a 
general  northwest  course,  with  the  Blackfoot 
country  as  their  chief  destination.  The  inten- 
tion was  to  remain  there  for  a  few  days  or 
weeks,  and  then  press  westward  to  the  Pacific. 
When  in  the  Blackfoot  region  a  fourth  of  their 
journey  would  still  be  before  them,  and  it  led 
through  a  section  the  most  difficult  of  all  to 
travel.  The  understanding  was  that  Mul-tal-la 
would  accompany  Deerfoot  and  the  boys  until 
all  were  given  to  look  upon  the  mightiest  body 
of  water  on  the  globe.  By  the  time  they 
reached  the  Blackfoot  country  again  winter 
would  be  so  near  (if  not  already  upon  them) 


A  CHANGE  OF  PLAN.  29* 

that  our  friends  purposed  to  remain  among  that 
tribe  until  the  opening  of  spring,  when  they 
would  set  out  on  the  return  to  their  own  home. 

But  Mul-tal-la,  after  a  long  conversation  with 
his  countrymen,  told  Deerfoot  that  when  he 
joined  his  people  he  would  not  he  allowed  to 
leave  them  again.  An  unprecedented  favor 
had  been  granted  him  and  his  companion.  The 
one  who  had  received  such  an  indulgence  could 
not  receive  it  a  second  time.  Moreover,  the 
death  of  the  comrade  increased  the  difficulty, 
if  that  were  possible,  for  the  head  chief  of  the 
Blackf  eet,  who  was  an  autocrat  among  his  tribe, 
would  be  offended  with  Mul-tal-la  when  he 
learned  all  that  had  taken  place.  Many  Indian 
tribes  follow  the  custom  of  the  Chinese  and 
punish  an  unfortunate  leader,  no  matter  how 
blameless  he  may  have  been  for  his  misfortune. 

Had  Mul-tal-la  returned  with  his  former  com- 
panion it  is  not  unlikely  that  the  chieftain  would 
have  permitted  him  to  accompany  Deerfoot  and 
the  boys  to  the  Pacific,  but,  coming  back  without 
the  other,  such  permission  was  impossible. 

Long  after  the  brothers  had  stretched  out  by 
the  fire  the  Shawanoe  and  the  Blackfeet  talked 
together.  Convinced  that  the  life  of  Mul-tal-la 


292  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

was  in  danger  from  the  chieftain,  Deerfoot  was 
determined  that  his  friend  should  not  run  the 
risk  that  awaited  him  if  he  went  back  with  the 
couple  or  followed  them  after  a  brief  interval. 

He  proposed,  therefore,  that  the  party  with 
Mul-tal-la  should  turn  off  from  the  route  they 
were  following,  force  their  way  through  the 
Eocky  Mountains  to  the  headwaters  of  the 
Columbia,  and  pass  down  that  to  the  Pacific, 
after  which  the  four  would  visit  the  Blackfeet 
and  stay  with  them  till  spring. 

Meanwhile  the  two  Blackfeet  would  return  to 
their  countrymen  and  report  what  they  had 
seen  and  learned.  An  outburst  against  Mul- 
tal-la  was  certain,  but  it  would  be  given  timo 
in  which  to  spend  its  force.  The  visitors  would 
do  all  they  could  to  placate  and  show  their 
chieftain  that  Mul-tal-la  would  have  been  glad 
to  hasten  home  had  he  not  been  under  pledge  to 
guide  the  Shawanoe  and  his  friends  to  the 
Pacific.  The  Shawanoe  would  give  his  life  at 
any  time  rather  than  break  his  promise,  and  he 
had  taught  the  same  high  principles  to  Mul- 
tal-la. 

Deerfoot  was  unwilling  to  admit  that  any 
credit  in  the  matter  was  due  to  his  teachings, 


A  CHANGE  OF  PLAN.  293 

but  he  was  forced  to  hold  his  peace  when  his 
friend  unhesitatingly  told  him  that  among  his 
people  the  violation  of  a  pledge  was  not 
regarded  as  wrong  when  the  interests  of  the 
one  making  the  pledge  called  for  such  a  course. 
"And,"  added  the  grinning  Mul-tal-la,  "I  am  a 
Blackfoot." 

Deerfoot  with  all  his  sagacity  failed  to  note 
one  phase  of  the  situation  that  was  apparent 
to  Mul-tal-la.  The  latter,  despite  the  protest 
of  the  Shawanoe,  managed  secretly  to  tell  his 
countrymen  a  good  deal  about  the  remarkable 
youth  who  had  proved  so  unselfish  a  friend  to 
him  when  such  a  friend  was  needed.  He  gave 
the  story  of  his  conquest  of  the  wild  stallion, 
of  Deerfoot  ?s  incredible  fleetness  of  foot,  of  his 
skill  with  the  bow  and  rifle,  of  his  courage  and 
readiness  of  resource,  which  surpassed  that  of 
any  of  his  race,  and  of  his  admirable  character, 
which  Mul-tal-la  had  never  seen  equaled  by 
any  white  or  red  man. 

There  was  one  subject  upon  which  the  four 
red  men  talked  freely,  for  it  was  always  a  wel- 
come one  to  Deerfoot  the  Shawanoe.  Unto  the 
visitors  had  come  vague,  shadowy  rumors  of  a 
religion  different  from  that  which  they  had 


294  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

been  taught,  and  which  had  been  followed  by 
their  people  from  time  immemorial.  In  some 
cases  these  reports  were  definite  enough  to 
awaken  curiosity  and  inquiry.  Stories  were 
told  of  self-sacrificing  missionaries  who  had 
spent  years  in  teaching  the  new  faith,  and  who 
had  given  their  lives  for  its  sake.  It  was  a 
strange  doctrine,  indeed,  which  taught  the  sin 
of  revenge,  of  deceit,  of  cruelty,  of  wrong- 
doing, and  replaced  them  with  love,  forgiveness, 
mercy  and  the  Golden  Rule,  and  the  assurance 
that  a  reward  of  eternal  life  awaited  those  who 
lived  according  to  the  will  of  the  one  and  true 
God. 

Immortality  is  not  capable  of  scientific  proof, 
but  one  of  the  strongest  evidences  of  its  truth 
is  that  yearning  which  is  implanted,  to  a  greater 
or  less  degree,  in  every  human  heart,  and  in 
every  race,  no  matter  how  low  or  degraded  its 
order  in  the  rank  of  civilization.  All  religions, 
whether  true  or  false,  are  based  on  the  idea  of 
a  life  beyond  the  grave.  It  accords  with  reason 
and  with  the  self-evident  fact  that  no  man  can 
feel  that  his  life's  work  is  rounded  out  and 
completed  on  earth,  and  that  consequently 
there  must  be  another  existence  in  which  that 
work  shall  be  carried  on. 


A  CHANGE  OF  PLAN.  295 

That  these  longings,  these  yearnings,  this 
instinctive  reaching  out  for  the  things  beyond 
mortal  grasp,  are  an  inherent  part  of  our  being 
show  that  they  have  been  divinely  planted  there 
by  One  who  is  capable  of  satisfying  them  all, 
and  who,  in  his  own  good  time,  will  satisfy 
them.  So  reasonable  and  so  well  founded  is 
this  belief  that  the  burden  of  proof  is  thrown 
upon  those  who  dispute  it.  Let  them  demon- 
strate, if  they  can,  that  that  which  we  call  death 
ends  all.  But  it  is  beyond  their  power,  and 
from  the  nature  of  things  always  will  be  beyond 
their  power,  to  do  this  impossible  thing. 

At  the  opening  of  this  century  we  stand  on 
the  threshold  of  the  most  marvelous  discoveries 
and  achievements  made  since  the  world  began. 
Some  of  these  discoveries  fill  us  with  awe,  and 
clearly  presage  the  greater  that  are  close  at 
hand.  Among  them  may  be  the  scientific  proof 
of  a  future  existence,  though  such  proof  is  not 
necessary  with  the  most  exalted  intellects,  any 
more  than  it  is  with  the  simpler  and  more  child- 
like minds. 

We  must  not  wander,  however,  from  the 
thread  of  our  narrative,  though  the  subject  is 
the  most  momentous  that  can  engage  our  mental 


296  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

powers.  When  Mul-tal-la  put  into  more  defi- 
nite form  the  dim  glimpses  that  his  country- 
men had  caught  of  the  true  light,  he  appealed 
to  Deerfoot,  who  in  his  modest,  convincing 
manner  told  the  story  of  his  conversion  and 
of  the  sweet  communion  he  held  every  day  with 
the  Father  of  All  Good.  It  was  a  faith  which 
no  trial,  no  suffering,  no  torture  could  change 
or  modify,  and  he  impressed  upon  his  absorbed 
listeners  the  ineffable  beauties  of  the  religion 
which  made  a  man  a  new  being  and  fitted  him 
for  the  life  to  come. 

Deerfoot  had  that  rare  tact  of  not  pressing  an 
important  question  too  far.  He  knew  he  had 
said  enough,  and  when  his  hearers  ceased  to 
question  him  he  ceased  to  exhort.  He,  like  all 
true  Christians  before  and  since,  had  to  meet 
that  most  troublesome  of  questions:  the  evil- 
doing  of  those  who  profess  the  white  man's 
religion.  The  Blackfeet  had  met  Caucasians 
who  prayed  and  bellowed  their  faith,  yet  whose 
lives  belied  every  word  of  their  profession. 
They  wronged  and  cheated  the  Indians;  they 
broke  their  promises;  they  maltreated  them, 
and  in  short  did  everything  that  was  evil.  If 
the  Christian  religion  made  such  men,  the 


A  CHANGE  OF  PLAN.  297 

pagans  might  well  declare  they  wanted  none 
of  it,  for  they  were  unquestionably  better  than 
those  hypocrites. 

Deerfoot  ranked  such  men  far  below  those 
who  were  called  heathens.  He  despised  them 
utterly,  and  was  sure  their  punishment 
would  be  greater  than  that  meted  out  to 
those  who  live  in  open  sin.  He  strove  to 
impress  upon  his  listeners — and  it  is  fair  to 
believe  he  succeeded — the  distinction  between 
true  and  false  Christians,  and  assured  the 
Blackfeet  that  they  were  justified  at  all  times 
in  rating  a  person,  not  by  what  he  professed, 
but  by  his  daily  life,  for  it  is  thus  that  at  the 
last  day  the  great  Arbiter  will  judge  us  all. 

And  so,  without  fully  realizing  it,  the  young 
Shawanoe  sowed  the  good  seed  as  the  soil  pre- 
sented itself.  It  was  he  who  had  brought 
George  and  Victor  Shelton  to  see  the  truth; 
under  whom  Mul-tal-la  had  become  a  believer; 
hundreds  of  miles  away  he  had  planted  the 
germ  in  the  ground  offered  by  the  trapper  Jack 
Hallo  way,  of  whom  he  was  to  hear  further ;  and 
now  he  had  given  the  first  glimmerings  of  light 
to  these  benighted  Blackfeet,  and  it  was  a  light 
that  was  not  to  be  extinguished,  but  would 


298  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

grow  and  become  luminous  to  a  degree  that  only 
the  Judgment  Day  would  make  clear. 

Thus  it  is  with  all  of  us.  We  have  only  to  use 
the  opportunities  as  they  present  themselves; 
to  do  the  kind  deed;  to  utter  the  encouraging 
word;  to  help  the  fallen;  to  relieve  the  suffer- 
ing; to  purify  our  own  actions,  words  and 
thoughts,  and,  all  in  good  time,  the  harvest  shall 
appear. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE  MONARCH  OF  THE  SOLITUDES. 

DEERFOOT,  Mul-tal-la  and  the  Shelton 
boys  were  encamped  in  the  heart  of  the 
Rockies.  The  Blackfeet  visitors  had 
departed  two  days  before  and  were  well  on  their 
way  to  their  own  villages.  The  air  was  keen 
and  bracing,  and  the  sun  that  had  been  obscured 
now  shone  from  a  brilliant  sky. 

The  halt  was  made  at  noon  to  give  the  horses 
a  needed  rest,  for  they  had  done  considerable 
hard  climbing.  Even  the  peerless  Whirlwind 
showed  the  effects  of  the  unusual  task.  It 
being  understood  that  the  pause  was  to  be  for 
several  hours,  a  general  break-up  of  the  com- 
pany followed.  The  Blackfoot  and  the  Shaw- 
anoe  strolled  off  by  themselves,  and  George 
and  Victor  Shelton  took  another  direction,  with 
a  caution  not  to  wander  too  far  and  to  return 
before  sunset. 

The  boys  soon  found  themselves  in  a  region 
where  progress  was  difficult.  They  were  not 

209 


300  DEEKFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

following  any  trail,  and  were  forced  at  times 
to  clamber  over  boulders  and  other  obstruc- 
tions, or  to  flank  them;  to  descend  into  deep 
depressions  and  to  climb  ridges  at  whose  sum- 
mits they  were  obliged  to  sit  down  for  a  breath- 
ing spell.  Such  hard  work  made  them  thirsty, 
and  when  they  came  to  one  of  the  numerous 
tumbling  brooks,  whose  waters  were  as  clear 
as  crystal  and  as  cold  as  the  snow  and  ice  from 
which  they  sprang,  they  refreshed  themselves 
with  a  deep  draught  and  sat  down  for  a  rest. 

"Whew!"  sighed  Victor,  removing  his  cap 
and  mopping  his  moist  forehead;  "there  isn't 
as  much  fun  in  this  as  I  thought.  I  wouldn't 
mind  the  walking  and  climbing  if  a  fellow  didn't 
get  tired." 

"And  if  you  didn't  get  tired  you  wouldn't 
enjoy  a  rest  like  this. 

"Do  you  remember,"  he  continued,  "how 
Simon  Kenton  used  to  say  at  our  house  that  no 
man  could  know  what  a  good  night's  sleep  is 
unless  he  sat  up  one  or  two  nights  beforehand. 
I  suppose  there's  something  in  that,  though  we 
don't  have  to  try  it  on  ourselves.  I  know  that 
water  doesn't  taste  one-half  so  good  unless  you 
are  as  thirsty  as  you  can  be.  It  seems  to  me, 
Victor,  that  it's  time  we  bagged  some  game. 


THE  MONARCH  OF  THE  SOLITUDES.          30* 

"We  haven't  bagged  much,"  George  added; 
"Mul-tal-la  got  an  elk  yesterday;  Deerfoot 
brought  down  an  antelope ;  I  shot  a  turkey,  and 
you  came  pretty  near  hitting  a  buffalo  that  was 
several  yards  off." 

"Came  pretty  near  hitting  him!"  repeated 
Victor,  with  fine  scorn.  * '  I  hit  him  fairly,  and 
you  know  it,  but  these  buffaloes  have  hard 
heads,  like  some  persons  I  know." 

"Then  you  shouldn't  aim  at  their  heads. 
Other  people  don't,  and  it's  time  you  learned 
better." 

"I  don't  know  any  relative  of  mine  that  is 
too  old  to  learn  a  good  many  things,"  replied 
Victor,  without  a  spark  of  ill-nature. 

"That  sounds  as  if  you  mean  me.  I'll  own 
up  that  Deerfoot  and  I  are  liable  to  make  mis- 
takes now  and  then,  but  I  don't  quite  think 
either  of  us  would  run  from  a  wounded  antelope 
and  keep  up  a  yelling  that  could  be  heard  a 
mile  off." 

"It  is  sometimes  a  wise  thing  to  run;  you 
see  it  tempts  your  game  to  follow  and  brings 
him  within  range." 

"Where  is  the  need  of  that  when  he  must 
have  been  in  range  at  the  time  you  wounded 
him?" 


302  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

"But  couldn't  he  turn  and  make  off  in 
another  direction  and  get  beyond  reach  before 
you  could  load  again?  I  tell  you,  George,  there 
was  science  in  what  I  did.  I  advise  you  to  try 
the  same  trick  when  you  have  a  chance,  and 
then" 

A  peculiar  hog-like  grunt  caused  both  to  look 
behind  them.  The  sight  that  met  their  gaze 
was  enough  to  terrify  a  veteran  hunter.  Hardly 
a  hundred  feet  away  stood  the  most  gigantic 
grizzly  bear  of  which  they  had  ever  dreamed. 
They  had  listened  spellbound  to  the  story  of 
Mul-tal-la,  but  believed  that  the  panic  he  under- 
went at  the  time  of  his  encounter  with  one  of 
those  western  terrors  caused  him  to  exaggerate 
his  account,  though  it  must  have  been  a  fearful 
brute  that  could  have  wrought  the  havoc  he  did. 

This  bear  had  his  hind  feet  on  the  ground 
and  his  front  ones  on  a  boulder,  so  that  his 
massive  back  sloped  downward  from  his  head, 
and  he  was  looking  at  the  boys  as  if  speculating 
as  to  what  species  they  belonged.  His  size  was 
tremendous.  To  the  lads  he  seemed  to  be  three 
or  four  times  the  bulk  of  any  of  his  kind  they 
had  met  in  the  forests  of  Ohio  or  Kentucky.  It 
is  not  improbable  that  the  estimate  of  the 


A  Western  Monarch. 


THE  MONARCH  OF  THE  SOLITUDES.  303 

brothers  was  right.  You  know  that  the  grizzly 
bear  (which  the  early  explorers  referred  to  as 
a  white  bear)  is  now,  as  he  has  been  from  time 
immemorial,  the  monarch  of  the  western  wilds. 
So  prodigious  are  his  size  and  strength  that  he  is 
absolutely  without  fear. 

And  he  is  justified  in  this  self-confidence. 
One  stroke  of  that  mighty  paw,  whose  claws 
are  often  six  inches  in  length,  will  break  the 
back  of  a  horse  or  tear  a  man  to  shreds,  and 
enveloping  his  victim  in  those  beam-like  front 
legs,  he  will  crush  him  to  pulp  without  putting 
forth  more  than  a  tithe  of  his  power.  A  score 
of  bullets  have  been  pumped  into  that  immense 
carcass  without  causing  any  apparent  harm. 
The  Rocky  Mountain  grizzly  saves  the  hunter 
the  trouble  of  attacking  him.  It  is  the  bear 
himself  who  starts  things  moving  and  keeps 
them  going  at  a  lively  rate.  The  advice  of  the 
most  experienced  ranger  of  the  wilds  is  that 
if  a  man  is  alone  and  without  an  inaccessible 
perch  from  which  to  shoot,  he  should  not  disturb 
the  grizzly.  This  advice  is  equally  good  for 
two  persons,  and  would  not  be  inappropriate 
for  three  in  most  circumstances. 

It  may  be  doubted  whether  the  entire  West 


304  DEEKFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

at  the  time  of  which  I  am  writing  contained 
a  more  colossal  grizzly  bear  than  the  one  npon 
which  George  and  Victor  Shelton  gazed  when 
they  turned  their  heads.  His  bulk  was  so 
immense  that  they  recognized  him  on  the  instant 
as  the  dreaded  brute  of  which  they  had  heard 
more  than  one  terrifying  story. 

Why  he  did  not  advance  upon  the  lads  at 
once  is  not  easy  to  explain.  It  probably  was 
because  the  whim  did  not  come  to  him,  or  he 
may  have  looked  upon  the  couple  as  too  insig- 
nificant for  notice.  It  is  not  unlikely  that 
curiosity  had  something  to  do  with  it,  for  no 
doubt  they  were  the  first  examples  of  the  Cau- 
casian race  that  he  had  seen,  though  he  must 
have  met  Indians  and  may  have  crushed  an 
indefinite  number  to  death. 

The  strange  spectacle  was  presented  for  the 
next  few  minutes  of  the  boys  staring  at  the 
monster,  while  he  stared  back  at  them,  no  one 
moving  or  making  any  sound.  George  arid  Vic- 
tor were  literally  paralyzed  for  the  time  and 
unable  to  stir  or  speak. 

Victor  was  the  first  to  rally.  Forgetting  the 
warnings  of  Deerfoot  and  Mul-tal-la,  he  sprang 
to  his  feet,  faced  wholly  around,  and  brought 
his  gun  to  his  shoulder. 


THE  MONARCH  OF  THE  SOLITUDES.  305 

"What  a  splendid  shot!"  he  exclaimed. 
' '  See  me  tumble  him  over ! ' ' 

But  George  remembered  the  words  of  their 
dusky  friends,  and,  knowing  the  fatal  folly  of 
what  Victor  was  about  to  do,  protested. 

1 '  Don 't  you  do  it !    He  '11  kill  us  both ! ' ' 

In  his  fright  Victor  was  cool.  He  took  delib- 
erate aim,  and  while  the  words  were  in  the 
mouth  of  his  brother  pressed  the  trigger.  The 
report  and  act  threw  George  into  an  irrestrain- 
able  panic,  and  bounding  to  his  feet  he  dashed 
off  at  the  utmost  speed.  Across  gullies,  over 
and  around  rocks,  threshing  through  under- 
growth, he  sped,  not  daring  to  look  around  and 
hardly  conscious  of  what  he  was  doing.  He 
forgot  the  peril  of  Victor  in  his  panic  until  he 
had  run  several  hundred  yards,  when,  realizing 
what  he  was  doing,  he  abruptly  stopped  and 
looked  back. 

He  had  gone  so  far  that  he  saw  neither  the 
bear  nor  Victor,  and  he  began  picking  his  way 
to  the  spot,  shivering  with  dread,  and  expecting 
each  moment  to  come  upon  the  mangled  remains 
of  his  brother. 

Meanwhile  Victor  had  a  remarkable  experi- 
ence. Had  he  not  been  so  impulsive  by  nature, 

20 


306  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

and  had  he  been  given  a  few  moments  for 
reflection,  he  would  have  let  the  brute  alone; 
but,  as  I  have  shown,  he  fired  straight  at  him. 
More  than  that,  he  hit  him.  In  accordance  with 
the  almost  invariable  rule  in  such  circumstances 
the  grizzly  should  have  swept  down  upon  him 
like  a  cyclone.  Instead  of  that  he  slowly  swung 
his  front  around,  dropped  to  his  natural  posture 
on  the  ground,  and  began  lumbering  away. 

Incredible  as  it  may  seem,  he  probably  was 
not  aware  that  he  had  served  as  a  target  for  an 
American  youth.  He  must  have  been  conscious 
of  the  landing  of  the  bullet  somewhere  about 
his  anatomy,  but  the  matter  was  too  trifling  to 
disturb  him.  The  annoyance  from  mosquitoes 
was  more  serious,  especially  when  they  attacked 
his  eyes.  In  Alaska  these  pests  often  blind  the 
bears  by  their  persistent  assaults,  and  the  mis- 
erable brutes  wander  aimlessly  around  until 
they  starve  to  death. 

Even  Victor  Shelton  was  puzzled  by  the 
action  of  the  grizzly.  It  would  not  have  been 
so  strange  to  him  had  the  quadruped  rolled  over 
and  died,  for  that  would  have  indicated  that 
a  lucky  shot  had  been  made ;  but  that  he  should 
turn  and  make  off  was  more  than  the  youth 


THE  MONARCH  OF  THE  SOLITUDES.  307 

could  understand.  He  would  have  believed  the 
bear  had  been  frightened  had  he  not  recalled 
the  accounts  of  Mul-tal-la,  which  showed  the 
impossibility  of  such  a  thing. 

In  one  respect  Victor  displayed  wisdom. 
Without  stirring  from  the  spot  he  carefully 
reloaded  his  gun,  keeping  a  lookout  all  the 
time  for  the  return  of  the  monster.  He  had 
caught  sight  of  the  mountainous,  shaggy  bulk 
as  it  swung  through  the  undergrowth,  which 
was  trampled  down  as  if  it  were  so  much  grass, 
and  then  disappeared.  -  Would  he  come  back  ? 

While  the  lad  was  debating  the  question  he 
heard  the  sound  of  some  one  approaching  from 
the  other  direction.  Turning,  his  eyes  met 
those  of  his  white-faced  brother,  who  seemed 
to  find  it  hard  to  believe  that  he  saw  Victor  alive 
and  unharmed. 

"Where's  the  bear?"  gasped  George,  when 
he  could  master  his  emotions. 

"Why  didn't  you  wait  and  see  me  shoot 
him?"  asked  Victor  loftily. 

"It  can't  be  you  killed  him." 

"He  may  live  a  few  minutes  longer,  but  I 
guess  he's  gone  off  to  die  by  himself.  You 
know  wild  animals  don't  like  to  have  spectators 
when  they  give  their  last  kick." 


306  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

"It  can't  be,"  said  George  as  if  to  himself; 
"you  couldn't  have  hit  him." 

" Then  what  made  him  leave  so  suddenly? 
Tell  me  that." 

"I  don't  know;  I  never  saw  one  of  them 
hef  ore ;  but  why  didn  't  he  attack  us  ?  This  bear 
is  a  bigger  one  than  Mul-tal-la  ever  met,  and  it 
couldn't  be  he  was  afraid  of  us." 

"Not  of  us — of  course  not,  for  only  one  of 
us  held  his  ground,  and  I  don't  think  his  name 
is  George  Shelton,  but  he  saw  /  was  here;  he 
took  one  good  sauint  at  me,  and  things  looked 
so  squally  he  decided  to  leave." 

The  complacency  and  self-pride  of  Victor 
were  warranted,  provided  they  rested  upon  a 
sure  basis;  that  would  soon  be  known.  Few 
living  woodmen  have  ever  driven  off  a  grizzly 
bear  by  a  single  shot,  and  it  seems  beyond  the 
range  of  possibility  for  the  feat  to  be  performed 
by  a  boy. 

Victor  peered  in  all  directions,  and  seeing 
nothing  of  the  monster,  turned  and  proceeded 
to  "rub  it  in"  with  his  brother. 

"Let  me  see,  George,  you  were  saying  some- 
thing a  little  while  ago  about  a  fellow  that  you 
saw  run  away  from  the  charge  of  an  antelope. ' ' 


THE  MONARCH  OF  THE  SOLITUDES.  309 

George  knew  what  was  coming  and  rallied 
to  " repel  boarders." 

"Yes;  I  saw  a  great  hulking  youngster  do 
that  very  thing.  You  will  find  it  hard  to  believe 
anyone  could  show  such  cowardice,  but  Mul- 
tal-la  was  with  me,  and  he'll  tell  you  it  is  true." 

"Do  you  think  that  the  chap,  who  no  doubt 
was  trying  to  lure  the  antelope  to  his  destruc- 
tion, made  better  time  than  you  did  when  you 
deserted  me  at  sight  of  this  big  bear  f ' ' 

"There  may  not  have  been  much  difference 
in  the  speed  of  the  two,  but  you  see  the  case  is 
different.  One  boy  ran  from  an  animal  that  is 
as  harmless  as  a  rabbit,  while  the  other  fled 
from  a  beast  that  would  have  sent  a  half-dozen 
veterans  flying,  even  though  they  had  loaded 
rifles  in  their  hands." 

"But  I  stood  my  ground." 

"Because  you  didn't  know  any  better.  You 
were  too  scared  to  run." 

"But  not  too  scared  to  shoot  and  hit  the 
game.  Folks  generally  say  that  the  fellow  who 
runs  away  is  frightened  and  not  the  one  who 
keeps  his  place  and  sends  a  bullet  right  into  the 
face  of  the  danger.  What  do  you  think  of  it, 
George?" 


3JO  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

"I  have  already  told  you  what  I  think.  Let 
us  leave  the  question  to  Mul-tal-la  and  Deer- 
foot  to  settle  when  we  go  back  to  camp. ' ' 

But  Victor,  unaware  that  the  Shawanoe  had 
heard  the  story  long  before  from  the  Blackfoot, 
was  unwilling  to  have  it  brought  to  his  knowl- 
edge. He  knew  he  cut  a  sorry  figure  when  flee- 
ing from  the  frantic  antelope,  and  he  did  not  like 
to  hear  references  to  it.  He  would  prefer  to 
appear  ridiculous  in  the  eyes  of  any  person  in 
the  world  rather  than  in  those  of  the  young 
Shawanoe.  He  saw  his  chance  and  used  it. 

"I'll  agree  to  say  nothing  about  this  if  you 
don't  talk  about  antelopes  when  Deerfoot  is 
around.  Are  you  willing? " 

Before  George  Shelton  could  refuse  or  give 
assent  the  conversation  was  broken  in  upon  in 
the  most  startling  manner. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

A  MEMORABLE  ENCOUNTER. 

THE  sound  was  like  that  of  a  score  of 
bison    charging    through    the    under- 
growth.    The  affrighted  lads  glanced 
around  and  saw  the  grizzly  crashing  down  upon 
them.     Possibly  he  had  awakened  to  the  fancy 
that  they  were  enemies,  and  one  of  them  had 
sought  to  do  him  harm.     At  any  rate,  here  he 
was! 

George  and  Victor  instinctively  did  what  any 
two  persons  with  loaded  guns  in  their  hands 
will  do  when  assailed  by  a  furious  wild  beast. 
They  brought  their  weapons  to  a  level  and 
blazed  away  straight  into  his  face,  but  they 
might  as  well  have  sent  their  bullets  against  a 
solid  rock  for  all  the  good  it  accomplished  in 
the  way  of  checking  the  rush  of  the  monster, 
who  emitted  his  hog-like  grunts  and  swept  down 
upon  them  like  a  whirlwind. 

Without  any  thought  of  the  wisdom  of  what 
they  were  doing,  the  brothers  separated,  their 

311 


312  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

line  of  flight  being  almost  at  right  angles  from 
the  beginning.  Since  it  was  impossible  for  the 
beast  to  pursue  both  at  the  same  time,  he  had 
to  select  his  victim.  His  choice  fell  upon  Vic- 
tor, but  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  he  recog- 
nized him  as  the  original  offender  in  this  busi- 
ness. 

The  gait  of  a  grizzly  bear,  or  for  that  matter 
of  any  of  his  species,  is  awkward  when  he  is 
running  at  full  speed.  He  has  a  grotesque  way 
of  doubling  and  humping  his  body,  which  seems 
fatal  to  high  speed.  Nevertheless,  he  can  get 
forward  at  an  astonishing  rate,  faster  than  a 
man  can  run  at  his  best.  If  it  should  ever  fall 
to  your  lot  to  meet  a  grizzly  in  his  western 
haunts,  don't  fancy  you  can  escape  him  simply 
by  running.  Keep  out  of  his  way  from  the 
first. 

George  Shelton  ran  and  tumbled  and  scram- 
bled over  the  rough  ground  for  a  consider- 
able distance  before  he  glanced  behind  him. 
Then  he  discovered  he  was  not  pursued.  Pant- 
ing from  his  exertions,  he  halted  and  began 
reloading  his  gun  with  a  haste  which  made  the 
work  doubly  as  long  as  it  would  have  lasted  on 
any  other  occasion.  As  soon  as  his  weapon 


A  MEMORABLE  ENCOUNTER,  313 

was  ready  he  hurried  back  to  the  help  of  his 
brother,  who  was  having  a  perilous  time  indeed. 
As  he  ran  he  called  as  loud  as  he  could  for 
Deerfoot  and  Mul-tal-la,  for  the  crisis  could 
not  have  been  more  serious. 

Less  than  fifty  feet  separated  Victor  Shelton 
from  the  grizzly  when  the  race  for  life  opened. 
For  a  little  way  the  ground  was  favorable,  and 
the  lad  ran  fully  as  fast  as  when  fleeing  from 
the  wounded  antelope.  A  glance  over  his 
shoulder  showed  the  vast  hulk  doubling  and 
lumbering  along  and"  gaining  rapidly.  In  a 
straightaway  race  the  fugitive  was  sure  to  be 
overtaken  within  a  few  minutes. 

Something  must  be  done  without  an  instant 's 
delay.  There  was  no  time  to  reload  his  old- 
fashioned  gun,  nor  could  he  descry  any  refuge. 
A  sapling  appeared  a  little  to  his  right,  but  he 
dared  not  resort  to  that.  He  believed  the  bear 
would  jerk  it  up  by  the  roots  to  get  at  him,  and 
he  was  probably  right  in  his  supposition.  So 
he  kept  on. 

The  situation  was  so  critical  that  Victor 
Shelton  did  a  desperate  thing.  Throwing  away 
the  rifle  which  impeded  his  flight,  he  turned  to 
the  left  and  headed,  still  on  a  dead  run,  for 


3U  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

the  edge  of  a  cliff.  Of  the  depth  of  the  ravine 
beyond  he  had  not  the  faintest  idea.  It  might 
be  a  few  feet  or  it  might  be  a  hundred.  He 
had  no  time  to  find  out.  Over  he  must  go,  and 
without  checking  his  flight  in  the  least,  he  dashed 
to  the  edge  and  made  the  leap. 

Providentially  the  distance  was  barely  a 
score  of  feet,  and  instead  of  alighting  upon  a 
rock  almost  in  his  line  of  flight,  he  landed  on 
the  comparatively  soft  earth.  He  was  severely 
shaken,  but  in  his  fright  he  heeded  it  not.  He 
fell  forward  on  his  hands  and  knees,  scrambled 
up  instantly,  and  was  off  again.  He  had 
dropped  into  a  gorge  only  a  few  yards  in  width, 
which  wound  indefinitely  to  the  right  and  left. 
There  was  no  way  of  knowing  the  better  line  of 
flight,  and  he  turned  to  the  right. 

He  had  gone  only  a  few  paces  when  he  looked 
back  to  see  what  had  become  of  the  grizzly. 
He  had  stopped  on  the  margin  of  the  bluff  and 
was  looking  down  at  the  terrified  youngster,  who 
was  striving  so  frantically  to  get  beyond  his 
reach.  For  a  moment  Victor  believed  the 
brute  was  about  to  follow  him;  but  instead  of 
doing  that  he  lumbered,  growling  and  grunt- 
ing, along  the  side  of  the  ravine,  easily  keeping 


A  MEMORABLE  ENCOUNTER.  3J5 

pace  with  the  fugitive,  despite  the  fact  that 
the  surface  was  more  broken  than  in  the  bottom 
of  the  gorge. 

Still,  so  long  as  the  relative  positions  of  the 
grizzly  and  fugitive  remained  the  same,  no 
harm  could  come  to  the  latter.  But  a  change 
speedily  took  place. 

Victor  had  not  gone  far  when  to  his  dismay 
he  noticed  that  the  ground  over  which  he  was 
running  began  to  slope  upward.  If  this  con- 
tinued he  must  soon  rise  to  the  level  of  the 
bear,  who  acted  as  if  he  saw  how  the  situation 
favored  him.  The  plum  which  for  the  moment 
was  out  of  his  reach  must  soon  pass  into  his 
maws. 

The  fugitive  slackened  his  speed,  wondering 
what  he  could  do.  He  glanced  at  the  opposite 
side  of  the  ravine  in  search  of  a  way  of  climb- 
ing out  and  thus  interposing  the  chasm  between 
him  and  his  enemy.  But  the  wall  was  perpen- 
dicular and  comparatively  smooth.  If  he  kept 
on  he  would  soon  be  brought  face  to  face  with 
the  beast.  He  must  turn  back,  with  no  certainty 
that  the  same  hopeless  condition  would  not  con- 
front him  in  that  direction. 

Just  then  a  shout  fell  upon  his  ear.     George 


3*6  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

Shelton  appeared  on  the  edge  of  the  cliff 
within  a  hundred  feet  of  the  bear.  A  flash  and 
report  followed.  He  had  fired  at  their  terrible 
enemy  and  the  bullet  could  not  miss;  but  the 
grizzly  seemed  as  unaware  of  it  as  of  the  former 
pin  pricks.  Giving  no  heed  to  the  shouts,  the 
report  and  the  slight  sting,  he  saw  only  the  lad 
below  him,  upon  whom  he  had  centered  his 
wrath. 

Victor  had  halted,  glanced  up,  and  was  in  the 
act  of  turning  back  over  his  own  trail  when 
the  brute  took  advantage  of  the  decreased  depth 
of  the  gorge,  leaped  the  short  distance  neces- 
sary to  land  him  on  the  bottom,  not  more  than 
eight  or  ten  feet  below,  and  tumbling,  rolling, 
grunting,  scrambling  and  flinging  the  pebbles 
and  dirt  in  every  direction,  renewed  his  direct 
pursuit  of  the  fugitive,  with  less  distance  than 
before  separating  them. 

All  that  Victor  could  do  was  to  run,  and  if 
ever  a  youngster  did  that  it  was  he.  Unques- 
tionably he  must  have  exceeded  the  pace  he 
showed  when  fleeing  from  the  wounded  ante- 
lope. And  yet  it  did  not  equal  that  of  the 
grizzly,  who  lumbered  forward  like  a  locomo- 
tive running  down  a  panic-stricken  dog  between 
the  rails. 


A  MEMORABLE  ENCOUNTER.  317 

Suddenly  another  form  dropped  lightly  into 
the  gorge,  landing  on  his  feet  a  few  paces  behind 
the  fugitive,  who,  as  he  sped  past,  recognized 
Deerfoot  the  Shawanoe.  Neither  spoke,  for  it 
was  not  necessary.  The  lad  did  not  slacken  his 
speed,  which  was  at  the  highest  tension,  and 
the  lithe  young  Indian,  standing  motionless, 
raised  his  rifle  and  fired  at  the  grizzly  when  the 
space  separating  the  two  was  barely  a  rod. 

Deerfoot  aimed  at  one  of  the  eyes.  He  must 
have  brought  down  the  terrific  brute  had  not 
the  latter  at  the  very  instant  of  the  discharge 
started  to  rise  on  his  hind  legs,  as  his  species 
do  when  about  to  seize  their  victim.  Despite 
the  brief  distance  separating  the  two  there  was 
just  enough  deflection  in  the  aim  to  save  the 
eye.  The  bullet  struck  below  that  organ  and 
did  no  more  harm  than  the  missiles  that  had 
preceded  it. 

But  Deerfoot  had  interposed  between  his 
friend  and  the  grizzly,  and  the  fight  was  now 
between  him  and  the  furious  Goliath.  Never 
was  a  more  thrilling  sight  witnessed  than  that 
upon  which  George  Shelton  gazed  from  the 
top  of  the  ravine,  and  which  his  brother  viewed 
from  a  safe  point  within  the  gorge. 


3J8  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

The  Shawanoe  saw  on  the  instant  the  cause 
of  his  failure  to  kill  the  bear.  His  gun  was  of 
no  further  use  for  the  time,  and,  like  Victor 
Shelton,  he  flung  it  aside.  He  did  not  doubt 
that  he  could  outrun  the  grizzly  in  a  fair  race, 
and  he  would  have  fled  had  he  thought  Victor 
was  beyond  reach,  but  there  was  no  saying 
whether  the  gorge  was  not  in  the  nature  of  a 
blind  alley  or  cage,  from  which  the  lad  could 
not  escape.  To  save  him  the  Shawanoe  held 
his  ground. 

At  the  instant  of  flinging  aside  his  rifle  Deer- 
foot  drew  his  knife  from  his  girdle  and  gripped 
it  in  his  good  left  hand.  The  grizzly,  as  I  have 
said,  had  risen  on  his  haunches  and  reached  out 
for  his  victim,  but  the  space  was  too  great.  He 
sagged  down  on  all  fours,  plunged  a  few  paces 
forward,  and  reared  again. 

As  he  went  up  he  must  have  caught  the  flash 
of  flying  black  hair,  of  a  fringed  hunting  shirt 
and  a  gleaming  face.  And  as  he  saw  all  this 
like  a  phantom  of  his  dull  brain,  he  awoke  to 
the  fact  that  a  dagger  was  driven  with  merciless 
force  into  his  chest  and  withdrawn  again,  both 
movements  being  of  lightning-like  quickness. 

He  had  seen  that  face  almost  against  his  nose, 


A  MEMORABLE  ENCOUNTER.  3J9 

and  the  ponderous  fore  legs  circled  outward 
and  swept  together  in  a  clasp  that  seemingly 
would  have  crushed  a  stone  statue  had  it  been 
caught  by  those  mighty  legs.  But  Deerfoot 
ducked  with  inimitable  agility  and  leaped  back 
a  dozen  feet. 

If  the  grizzly  had  not  felt  the  bullets  he  now 
felt  that  knife  thrust,  and  all  the  tempestuous 
fury  of  his  nature  was  roused.  He  dropped 
on  all  fours,  charged  forward,  rose  again  and 
grasped  at  the  audacious  individual  that  had 
seriously  wounded  him  and  dared  still  to  keep 
his  place  an  arm's  length  away. 

Precisely  that  which  took  place  before 
occurred  again.  As  the  shaggy  monster  reared, 
his  head  towering  far  above  that  of  the  Shawa- 
noe,  the  latter  bounded  forward  past  the  guard, 
as  it  may  be  called,  and  drove  his  dripping 
knife  with  fierce  power  into  the  massive  hulk, 
dropping  and  slipping  beyond  grasp  before  the 
brute  could  touch  him. 

Deerfoot  knew  where  to  thrust  to  reach  the 
seat  of  life,  but  the  enormous  size  of  the  grizzly 
actually  seemed  to  hold  it  beyond  reach  of 
an  ordinary  weapon,  for  after  several  blows 
the  bear  showed  no  evidence  of  harm  beyond 


320  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

that  caused  by  the  crimson  staining  of  his  great 
hairy  coat.  Apparently  he  was  as  strong  as 
ever. 

George  and  Victor  Shelton  held  their  breath 
at  times  when  viewing  this  remarkable  combat. 
They  knew  that  if  the  bear  once  seized  the 
Shawanoe  he  would  not  live  a  minute.  Eepeat- 
edly  it  looked  as  if  the  youth  had  been  caught. 
Once  when  the  huge  fore  leg  showed  outside  the 
shoulder  of  Deerfoot  and  seemingly  against  it, 
and  his  head  almost  touched  the  snout  of  the 
bear,  both  lads  uttered  a  wail  of  agony,  and 
George,  from  his  place  at  the  top  of  the  gorge, 
called  to  his  brother  below: 

"Poor  Deerfoot!    He  is  gone!" 

"So  he  is!"  chuckled  Victor;  "gone  from 
the  claws  of  the  grizzly. ' ' 

Just  then  Mul-tal-la  hurried  forward  to  the 
side  of  George  Shelton.  The  youth  suspected 
the  truth.  The  Blackfoot,  although  ordinarily  a 
brave  man,  had  no  wish  for  a  close  acquaintance 
with  so  overwhelming  a  specimen  of  "Old 
Ephraim, "  as  he  is  now  often  called.  He  knew 
too  well  the  tremendous  prowess  of  the  mon- 
arch of  the  western  solitudes. 

But  Mul-tal-la  could  not  stay  in  the  back 
ground  when  his  friend  was  in  danger.    Stand- 


A  MEMORABLE  £NCOUNTER.  32J 

ing  beside  George  Shelton,  it  took  but  a  glance 
for  him  to  understand  the  situation.  Deerfoot 
was  engaged  in  a  hand-to-hand  fight  with  the 
most  formidable  grizzly  bear  upon  which  the 
Blackfoot  had  ever  looked  or  of  which  he  had 
ever  heard. 

A  minute  told  the  Blackfoot  further  that  the 
youth  was  certain  to  win,  for,  while  he  was  con- 
tinually thrusting  and  wounding  his  antagonist, 
who  must  soon  succumb,  the  latter  had  not 
harmed  a  hair  of  the  other 's  head. 

To  such  a  struggle  there  could  be  but  one 
issue,  provided  no  accident  intervened.  But 
a  mishap  is  always  possible  in  the  case  of  the 
bravest  and  most  skilful  combatant.  Deerfoot 
might  slip  at  a  critical  moment  and  be  caught. 
Amazing  as  was  his  prowess,  he  was  not  infal- 
lible, and  death  was  likely  to  seize  him  at  any 
moment. 

The  action  of  the  Blackfoot,  therefore,  was 
to  be  commended,  when  he  knelt  on  one  knee 
and  aimed  with  the  utmost  care  at  the  brute. 
While  he  and  the  youth  were  interlocked  there 
was  danger  of  injuring  Deerfoot.  Mul-tal-la, 
therefore,  waited  until  a  brief  space  separated 
the  two  and  just  before  the  Shawanoe  made 
another  bound  forward. 

21 


322  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

Mul-tal-la  held  his  aim  for  several  minutes, 
for  he  was  resolved  not  to  make  any  mistake. 
He  aimed  just  behind  the  ear,  and  when  he 
pressed  the  trigger  the  little  sphere  of  lead 
bored  its  way  into  a  vital  part,  and  then  it  was 
all  over. 

Deerfoot  had  struck  again  and  leaped  back 
when  he  heard  the  report  of  the  rifle,  saw  the 
outreaching  paws  droop,  the  snout  dip,  and 
the  mountainous  mass  sag  downwards  and  side- 
ways, tumble  over,  and  that  was  the  end. 

"Mul-tal-la  only  hastened  the  death  of  the 
bear,"  remarked  the  Blackfoot  when  he  and 
the  boys  clambered  down  into  the  ravine  and 
stood  beside  the  victor;  "my  brother  had  done 
the  work,  and  the  bear  could  not  have  lasted 
much  longer." 

"Perhaps  my  brother  is  right,"  replied  the 
Shawanoe.  Then  he  looked  sternly  at  the  lads 
and  added: 

"If  my  brothers  do  not  heed  the  words  of 
Deerfoot  he  will  not  be  their  friend." 

The  boys  succeeded  after  much  talking  in  put- 
ting matters  in  such  a  light  that  Deerfoot  finally 
agreed  to  soften  his  rebuke,  though  they  felt  it 
hardly  the  less  keenly. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

THROUGH  THE  GREAT  DIVIDE. 

THE  month  of  August  was  well  advanced 
when  our  friends  reached  the  junction 
of  two  streams  where  to-day  stands 
Salmon  City,  Idaho.  They  were  well  received 
at  an  Indian  village,  whose  people  showed  a 
wish  to  do  all  they  could  to  help  the  travelers 
on  their  way  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Colum- 
bia. When  Mul-tal-la  made  known  their  des- 
tination several  of  the  red  men,  including  the 
chief,  shook  their  heads  and  said  it  was  too  late 
in  the  season  to  make  the  journey;  but  the 
party  were  resolute,  for  it  was  not  only  their 
intention  to  traverse  the  long  distance,  but  they 
meant,  if  possible,  to  return  to  the  Blackfoot 
country  in  time  to  spend  the  remainder  of  the 
winter  there. 

The  Indians  were  right  in  declaring  the  way 
difficult,  for  the  road  led  over  a  path  so  strewn 
with  broken  and  sharp  bits  of  rocks  that  in  the 
course  of  time  had  fallen  down  the  mountains, 


324  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

that  all  feared  the  unshod  horses  would  be  too 
injured  to  travel.  But,  to  the  pleased  surprise 
of  everyone,  no  trouble  of  the  kind  appeared. 
Men  and  boys  walked  most  of  the  time,  and  the 
animals  kept  pace  with  them. 

Had  the  little  company  failed  to  provide 
themselves  with  fishing  tackle  they  would  have 
suffered  for  food,  for  day  after  day  passed 
without  gaining  a  shot  at  any  kind  of  game. 
The  streams,  however,  abounded  with  salmon, 
which  were  easily  caught  and  much,  relished. 
It  was  oppressively  warm  during  the  middle  of 
the  day,  but  as  the  sun  went  down  a  rapid  low- 
ering of  temperature  followed,  and  in  the  morn- 
ing frost  whitened  the  vegetation  and  needles 
of  ice  put  out  from  the  shores  of  the  streams. 

You  have  heard  something  of  the  Shoshone  or 
Snake  Indians  with  whom  our  friends  had  had 
an  interesting  experience.  This  tribe  a  hun- 
dred years  ago  embraced  the  Indians  of  the 
southern  ranges  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  and 
of  the  plains  on  both  sides.  A  village  of  Sho- 
shones,  where  the  explorers  halted,  contained 
hardly  a  hundred  warriors  and  two  or  three 
times  as  many  women  and  children.  Regard- 
ing tnese  people  some  noteworthy  facts  wera 


THROUGH  THE  GREAT  DIVIDE.  325 

learned.  They  formerly  lived  on  the  prairies, 
but  were  driven  to  take  refuge  in  the  moun- 
tains from  a  band  of  roving  Pahkees,  who  came 
down  from  the  Saskatchewan  country  and 
attacked  them  with  great  ferocity.  From  the 
middle  of  spring  until  the  beginning  of  autumn 
these  Shoshones  lived  around  the  headwaters 
of  the  Columbia,  where  they  were  not  molested 
by  the  Pahkees.  Through  these  monfhs  the 
Indians  depended  mainly  upon  salmon,  but  the 
fish  disappeared  with  the  approach  of  cold 
weather,  and  other  means  of  subsistence  had  to 
be  found. 

This  little  fraternity  of  Shoshones  then  made 
their  way  over  the  ridge  to  the  waters  of  the 
Missouri,  down  which  they  cautiously  moved 
until  they  were  joined  by  other  bands,  either 
of  their  own  people  or  of  Flatheads.  Thus 
strengthened,  they  had  little  fear  of  the  Pah- 
kees, and  were  not  afraid  to  hunt  the  bison  to 
the  eastward  of  the  mountains.  They  remained 
till  the  salmon  returned  to  the  Columbia,  when 
they  migrated  to  that  section.  Nevertheless, 
the  dread  of  their  enemies  was  so  great  that 
the  Shoshones  never  left  the  mountains  till 
impending  starvation  drove  them  out. 


326  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

These  people  displayed  some  excellent  quali- 
ties. Lewis  and  Clark  reported  them  frank, 
fair  and  honest,  and  he  and  his  men  received 
generous  hospitality  at  their  hands.  As  with 
most  of  their  race,  war  was  the  most  exalted 
occupation,  and  no  warrior  could  look  for  pre- 
ferment until  he  earned  it  by  some  daring 
exploit.  The  triumph  of  killing  an  adversary 
was  not  complete  if  the  victor  failed  to  wrench 
the  scalp  from  his  head.  If  he  neglected  to  do 
this  and  some  other  warrior  secured  the  scalp, 
all  the  honor  went  to  him,  since  he  had  brought 
away  the  trophy  of  victory. 

After  parting  with  the  Shoshones,  who 
showed  regret  at  losing  the  company  of  the 
explorers,  the  latter  began  their  final  journey 
across  the  mountains.  The  first  camp  was  on 
the  southern  bank  of  Lemhi  Eiver.  Here 
Zigzag  showed  signs  of  slight  lameness.  He 
could  be  ill-spared,  and  it  was  deemed  best  to 
run  no  risk  with  him.  His  load  was  therefore 
distributed  among  Jack,  Bug  and  Prince.  It 
was  not  thought  well  to  make  Whirlwind  a  beast 
of  burden.  His  proud  spirit  was  likely  to  rebel 
and  there  was  no  necessity  for  offending  him. 
Early  the  next  day  Zigzag  was  better,  but 


THROUGH  THE  GREAT  DIVIDE.  327 

the  other  three  horses  retained  his  load,  while 
he  plodded  to  the  rear  of  them.  Men  and  boys 
remained  afoot.  The  Blackfoot  took  the  lead, 
for  though  he  had  never  been  through  this  coun- 
try, he  had  met  some  of  its  inhabitants,  and 
their  accounts  gave  him  a  more  extended  knowl- 
edge than  any  other  member  of  the  company 
could  possess. 

Victor  declared  that  Zigzag  was  shamming, 
for  though  he  limped  slightly  most  of  the  time, 
now  and  then  he  seemed  to  forget  it,  but  then 
Victor  never  had  much  respect  for  that  par- 
ticular horse.  It  was  deemed  best  to  humor 
him,  however,  and  perhaps  because  he  was 
ashamed  to  keep  up  the  deception  he  was  soon 
so  far  recovered  that  he  walked  without  trouble 
after  the  burden  had  been  replaced  upon  his 
back. 

Beaver  dams  were  often  passed,  but,  singular 
as  it  may  seem,  nothing  was  seen  of  the  animals 
themselves.  Their  rounded,  cone-like  dwellings 
extended  long  distances,  and  many  proofs 
of  their  skill  in  cutting  down  and  preparing 
wood  were  observed.  These  sagacious  crea- 
tures will  cut  up  the  limbs  and  trunk  of  a  large 
tree  as  smoothly  and  evenly  as  a  professional 


328  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

woodchopper  could  do  the  work,  and  in  con- 
structing their  dams,  some  of  which  are  of  great 
extent,  they  display  astonishing  skill.  No 
freshet  is  strong  enough  to  break  down  these 
dams,  and  the  architects  provide  for  the  over- 
flow as  men  provide  sluiceways  and  gates  to 
set  free  the  surplus  of  ponds  and  lakes.  The 
doors  of  their  houses  are  generally  under  water, 
and  the  structures  themselves  are  often  two  or 
three  stories  high.  They  generally  have  sen- 
tinels on  duty,  and  the  slaps  of  their  tails  on  the 
surface  of  the  water  never  fail  to  warn  their 
comrades  in  time  to  seek  shelter. 

These  tails,  it  may  be  said,  are  quite  a  deli- 
cacy. When  boiled  or  prepared  by  cooking 
they  suggest  buffalo  or  beef  tongue,  and  are 
nourishing  and  palatable.  A  meal  on  beaver 
tails  is  always  welcome  to  the  traveler  through 
any  region  where  the  animals  make  their  home. 

There  is  one  accomplishment  possessed  by 
beavers  not  generally  known,  and  of  which  I 
have  never  heard  the  explanation.  Sometimes 
after  cutting  a  large  limb  into  the  right  length 
to  be  used  in  the  construction  of  a  dam,  the  ani- 
mal, finding  he  does  not  need  it  immediately, 
floats  it  out  into  the  middle  of  a  stream  and 


THROUGH  THE  GREAT  DIVIDE,  329 

sinks  it  to  the  bottom.  If  the  water  is  clear 
you  may  see  a  number  of  such  sticks  lying  here 
and  there  ten  or  fifteen  feet  below  the  surface. 
When  the  material  is  needed  the  sticks  are 
released,  rise  to  the  top,  and  are  transported 
whither  they  may  be  wanted. 

Now,  how  is  it  the  beaver  sinks  the  buoyant 
wood?  How  he  makes  it  stay  on  the  bottom 
is,  so  far  as  I  have  ever  been  able  to  learn, 
beyond  explanation.  The  most  experienced 
trapper  will  tell  you  he  doesn't  understand  it. 
More  than  once  one  of  these  men  has  pushed 
the  pieces  of  wood  loose.  The  moment  he  did 
so  they  would  come  to  the  surface  and  stay 
there.  By  no  trick  or  device  could  he  make 
them  sink  again,  unless  by  attaching  a  heavy 
weight.  That,  however,  does  not  solve  the  dif- 
ficulty, for  any  substance  can  be  sunk  by  such 
means,  which  is  not  the  one  the  beaver  employs. 

As  the  party  advanced  deer  began  to  show 
themselves  again.  It  was  no  trouble  to  bring 
them  down,  and  when  the  chance  did  not  offer 
the  fish  always  remained,  so  it  will  be  seen  that 
the  food  question  gave  the  explorers  no  con- 
cern. The  grass  at  times  was  not  as  plentiful 
as  they  wished,  but  take  it  altogether  the 


330  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

horses  had  no  reason  to  be  dissatisfied  and  the 
journey  went  promisingly  forward. 

The  next  important  stopping  place  of  the 
explorers  was  in  the  country  of  the  Chopunnish 
Indians,  who  lived  along  the  Clearwater  and 
Lewis  or  Snake  Kivers,  which  you  will  remem- 
ber were  both  tributaries  of  the  Columbia.  The 
Chopunnish  Indians  were  known  as  Pierced 
Noses,  though  it  is  difficult  to  understand  why 
this  name  was  given,  since,  so  far  as  known, 
they  never  pierced  their  noses.  The  name 
was  changed  to  Nez  Perces  by  the  French 
voyaguers,  and  has  so  remained  ever  since. 
You  may  have  heard  of  Chief  Joseph,  who 
some  years  ago  made  his  remarkable  retreat 
northward  to  Canada,  and  repeatedly  outwitted 
the  United  States  regulars  sent  against  him. 
Joseph  was  one  of  the  most  remarkable  Indians 
that  ever  lived.  He  was  the  friend  of  the  white 
people,  and  was  held  in  great  respect  as  the 
head  of  the  Nez  Perce  tribe. 

Our  friends  were  impressed  by  these  red  men, 
who  were  large,  fine-looking  and  of  dark  com- 
plexion, and  whose  women  had  attractive 
features.  All  were  fond  of  ornaments.  They 
wore  buffalo  or  elk-skin  robes,  decorated  with 


THROUGH  THE  GREAT  DIVIDE.  33J 

beads,  and  the  hair,  which  was  plaited  in  two 
queues,  hung  in  front.  Seashells  fastened  to 
an  otter-skin  collar  were  displayed  as  belonging 
to  the  coarse  black  hair,  and  feathers,  green, 
blue  and  white,  were  plentifully  seen.  In  cold 
weather  each  man  wore  a  short  skirt  of  dressed 
skins,  long  painted  leggings  and  moccasins,  and 
a  braid  of  twisted  grass  around  the  neck.  The 
women  used  a  long  shirt  of  bighorn  skin,  with- 
out a  girdle,  and  reaching  to  the  ankles.  Bits 
of  brass,  shells  and  small  ornaments  were  tied 
to  this  shirt,  but  the  head  showed  nothing  except 
what  nature  had  furnished. 

The  Nez  Perces  had  a  hard  time  of  it.  They 
were  forced  to  toil  during  the  summer  and 
autumn  to  gather  salmon  and  their  winter  sup- 
ply of  roots.  In  winter  they  hunted  deer  on 
snowshoes,  and  at  the  approach  of  spring 
crossed  the  mountains  to  the  headwaters  of  the 
Missouri  to  traffic  in  buffalo  robes.  Added  to 
this  unceasing  labor  they  had  many  fights  with 
enemies  from  the  west,  who  often  killed  mem- 
bers of  the  tribe,  stole  horses  and  drove  the 
owners  over  the  mountains. 

The  Nez  Perces  showed  a  very  friendly  dis- 
position to  our  friends,  who  visited  their  vil- 


332  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

lage  and  were  invited  to  partake  of  their  hos- 
pitality for  a  long  time.  Although  the  Indians 
had  a  scant  supply  of  food,  they  offered  the 
visitors  all  they  wished.  Deerfoot  and  Mul- 
tal-la,  out  of  courtesy,  partook  of  salmon,  but 
would  not  consent  to  deprive  them  of  anything 
further  when  the  travelers  felt  fully  able  to  pro- 
vide for  themselves. 

The  visit  to  the  Nez  Perces  solved  a  problem 
that  had  given  the  Blackfoot  and  Shawanoe 
no  little  concern.  The  party  had  progressed 
so  far  that  the  remainder  of  the  journey  could 
be  made  much  more  readily  by  water  than  by 
land.  All  they  had  to  do  was  to  descend  the 
river  in  canoes  to  its  mouth,  or  tidewater,  or 
at  least  far  enough  to  gain  the  coveted  view  of 
the  Pacific  Ocean.  They  would  have  to  make 
a  few  portages  and  exercise  skill  and  care  in 
shooting  some  of  the  rapids,  but  the  road  was 
open  and  they  could  not  go  astray. 

The  question  was  as  to  what  should  be  done 
with  their  horses.  These  could  continue  toil- 
ing forward  as  before,  but  the  way  was  rough 
and  tortuous,  and  would  occupy  a  much  longer 
time  than  the  water  route.  It  would  wear  upon 
the  animals,  all  of  which,  with  the  exception  of 


THROUGH  THE  GREAT  DIVIDE.  333 

Whirlwind,  showed  signs  of  the  draught  already 
made  on  their  strength  and  endurance.  If  they 
could  be  left  behind,  the  rest  would  do  them  a 
world  of  good,  and  they  ought  to  be  in  prime 
condition  when  their  masters  returned  to  them. 
Deerfoot  and  Mul-tal-la  discussed  the  plan 
of  leaving  their  animals  with  the  Nez  Perces. 
These  Indians,  like  all  their  race,  are  exceed- 
ingly fond  of  horses,  and  the  fear  of  our  friends 
was  that  when  they  came  back  their  property 
would  be  gone  beyond  recovery.  While  the 
warriors  might  not  openly  steal  them,  they  could 
frame  ingenious  excuses  for  their  absence. 
The  loss  of  the  four  ordinary  horses  might  not 
be  so  serious,  for  Mul-tal-la  was  sure  he  could 
replace  them  from  among  his  own  people,  but 
the  real  problem  was  the  black  stallion.  He 
was  such  a  superb  steed,  so  superior  in  beauty, 
strength  and  speed  to  any  of  his  kind  in  that 
region,  that  wherever  he  appeared  he  attracted 
admiration  and  envy.  But  for  the  watchful- 
ness of  his  owner  he  would  have  been  stolen 
long  before  crossing  the  Divide.  To  part  com- 
pany with  Whirlwind  in  what  may  be  called  a 
hostile  country  looked  like  voluntarily  giving 
him  over  to  the  spoiler.  No  sum  conceivable 


334  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

would  have  induced  the  Shawanoe  to  sell  Whirl- 
wind. He  was  ready  at  any  moment  to  risk  his 
life  for  the  animal  who  was  equally  ready  to  die 
for  his  master. 

This  was  the  situation  when,  as  the  party 
were  ahout  to  resume  their  journey,  they  were 
approached  by  a  tall,  handsome  warrior,  whose 
dress,  more  gaudily  ornamented  than  the 
others,  showed  that  he  was  one  with  authority. 
He  was  absent  while  the  visitors  were  receiving 
the  hospitality  of  the  Nez  Perces,  and  now  has- 
tened forward  to  pay  his  respects  while  the 
opportunity  remained. 

The  moment  he  drew  near,  Deerfoot  and  the 
boys  saw  from  the  expression  of  his  face  and 
on  that  of  Mul-tal-la  that  the  two  were  old 
acquaintances. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

PARTING  COMPANY. 

IN  fact,  Mul-tal-la  had  made  inquiries  for  his 
friend,  and  was  told  that  he  was  absent  on 
a  hunt,  and  there  was  no  saying  when  he 
would  return.    He  was  Amokeat,  or  the  Man- 
who-never-Sleeps,  and  one  of  the  leading  chiefs 
of  the  Nez  Perces. 

Two  years  before,  when  a  party  of  the  latter 
were  hunting  on  the  Missouri,  they  were, 
attacked  by  their  enemies  from  the  west,  and 
all  would  have  been  cut  off  had  not  some  Black- 
feet  hunters  arrived  at  the  critical  moment. 
The  tables  were  speedily  turned  and  the  assail- 
ants routed.  During  the  fight  Mul-tal-la  saved 
the  life  of  Amokeat,  when  he  was  hurled  to  the 
ground  and  a  savage  warrior  was  bending  over 
to  deliver  the  final  stroke.  Not  only  that,  but 
Mul-tal-la  scalped  the  enemy  with  his  own  hand 
and  presented  the  trophy  to  the  Nez  Perce 
leader.  No  greater  honor  could  be  done  by  one 

[335 


336  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

warrior  to  another,  and  the  gratitude  of  Amo- 
keat  was  deep. 

You  will  undertsand,  therefore,  how  cordially 
this  chief  and  the  Blackfoot  greeted  each  other. 
Mul-tal-la  slipped  off  his  horse  and,  as  the 
grinning  Victor  said,  seemed  about  to  eat  tip 
the  other,  while  Deerfoot  looked  on  and  was 
pleased  with  the  effusive  meeting. 

Mul-tal-la  and  his  people  often  mingled  with 
the  Nez  Perces,  and  he  understood  their  tongue 
well  enough  to  make  his  meaning  clear.  He 
told  Amokeat  of  the  question  he  and  the  Shaw- 
anoe  (to  whom  the  Nez  Perce  was  introduced) 
had  been  debating,  and  that  they  had  about 
decided  to  make  the  rest  of  the  journey  on 
horseback.  Amokeat  instantly  volunteered  to 
take  care  of  the  animals  until  the  owners 
returned.  Mul-tal-la  frankly  told  him  that 
Deerfoot  could  not  feel  certain  of  finding  Whirl- 
wind when  he  came  back.  Amokeat  reminded 
Mul-tal-la  that  he  was  a  chief,  and  pledged  his 
life  to  hand  over  the  black  stallion  and  the  rest 
of  the  horses  to  the  right  parties. 

"And  he  will  do  it,"  added  the  Blackfoot, 
when  he  made  known  the  pledge  of  the  Nez 
Perce  leader.  "He  is  true  and  honest  and 


PARTING  COMPANY.  337 

loves  Mul-tal-la  too  well  to  harm  a  friend  of 
his." 

"Deerfoot  does  not  doubt  what  his  brother 
tells  him;  he  does  not  doubt  that  Amokeat 
speaks  with  a  single  tongue,  but"  added  the 
Shawanoe  significantly,  "  there  are  other 
Indians  who  are  not  as  true  as  Amokeat." 

"My  brother  is  wise;  he  is  always  so;  he 
must  not  forget  that  Amokeat  is  a  chief  and  not 
a  common  warrior.  He  will  do  as  he  says." 

Deerfoot  allowed  himself  to  be  persuaded, 
though  no  means  convinced  that  he  was  doing 
a  wise  thing  in  leaving  Whirlwind  behind.  He 
assented  to  the  proposal,  but  his  friends  saw 
that  he  did  so  with  misgiving. 

The  decision  having  been  made,  there  wa& 
no  unnecessary  delay  in  carrying  it  out.  From 
the  scant  supply  of  trinkets  a  number  were 
presented  to  Amokeat,  with  the  promise  of 
more  upon  the  return  of  the  explorers,  pro- 
vided they  found  the  horses  awaiting  them. 
The  pleased  chief  secured  a  large  canoe,  capa- 
ble of  carrying  the  four  persons  and  the  indis- 
pensable portions  of  their  luggage.  The  trans- 
fer was  soon  made,  and  the  horses  turned  over 
to  the  care  of  the  Nez  Perce  leader. 


333  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

Mul-tal-la  and  the  boys  felt  a  little  sentiment 
in  parting  for  a  time  from  their  animals. 
There  was  something  saddening  in  the  thought 
that  the  quadrupeds,  who  had  been  their  com- 
panions through  so  many  hardships,  trials  and 
dangers,  might  never  be  met  again.  No  person 
can  fail  to  feel  an  attachment  for  the  dumb 
creature  that  has  served  him  faithfully.  The 
brothers  patted  the  necks  of  their  beasts  and 
expressed  the  hope  of  having  them  again  as 
comrades  on  their  journey  back  across  the  con- 
tinent. 

Deerfoot  could  be  stoical  if  he  chose,  but 
he  made  little  attempt  to  hide  his  feelings  when 
the  moment  came  for  him  to  say  good-bye  to 
Whirlwind.  He  explained  to  him  as  well  as 
he  could  the  necessity  of  their  parting  com- 
pany for  awhile,  and  there  is  no  saying  to  what 
extent  he  succeeded  in  conveying  the  truth  to 
the  noble  creature. 

"Whirlwind,"  he  said,  as  he  gently  stroked 
the  silken  nose  and  looked  into  the  dark  lumin- 
ous eyes,  "Deerfoot  must  leave  you  for  a  time, 
but  he  hopes  soon  to  come  back,  and  then  you 
and  he  shall  be  comrades  for  the  rest  of  their 
lives.  If  when  Deerfoot  asks  for  Whirlwind 


PARTING  COMPANY.  339 

he  sees  him  not,  and  they  tell  him  he  is  gone, 
then  Deerfoot  will  not  go  to  his  home  beyond 
the  Mississippi  till  he  meets  Whirlwind.  He 
will  hunt  everywhere  for  him;  he  will  find  him 
if  he  is  alive.  If  any  harm  has  come  to  Whirl- 
wind he  who  has  harmed  him  shall  give  an 
account  to  Deerfoot!" 

Victor  was  standing  beside  his  brother  and 
now  spoke  in  a  low  voice : 

"  Those  words  mean  a  good  deal,  George. 
Deerfoot  doesn't  feel  easy  over  leaving  Whirl- 
wind behind.  I  believe"  trouble  will  come  from 
it.  I  pity  the  Indian  that  tries  to  steal  the 
stallion." 

"I  believe  he  will  be  stolen.  I  don't  know 
why  I  believe  it,  but  Deerfoot  thinks  the  same, 
and  I  don't  understand  why  he  consents." 

"Do  you  suspect  Amokeat?" 

"No;  but  even  if  he  is  chief  he  can't  help 
some  of  his  people  getting  the  best  of  him. 
Can  you  blame  anyone  for  trying  to  steal  such 
a  horse?" 

"I  blame  him,  of  course;  but  I  don't  wonder 
at  it.  Look  at  Deerfoot  and  Whirlwind." 

Almost  a  hundred  Nez  Perce  warriors, 
women  and  children  were  grouped  about  watch- 


340  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

ing  the  departure  of  the  visitors.  Some  whis- 
pered among  themselves,  but  the  majority 
silently  looked  upon  the  little  group  that  was 
leaving  them.  The  river  lay  a  few  rods  away, 
and  the  goods  had  been  placed  in  the  large 
canoe,  which  was  to  bear  the  owners  on  their 
voyage  to  the  ocean,  still  many  miles  to  the 
westward. 

When  the  young  Shawanoe  finished  the  words 
quoted  Whirlwind  laid  his  nose  over  his 
shoulder.  Deerfoot  placed  his  arms  about  the 
satin  neck,  fondled  the  forelock,  patted  the  nose, 
kissed  it,  and  then  turned  abruptly  to  his 
friends : 

"Let  us  wait  no  longer.  The  sun  is  high  in 
the  sky  and  we  have  many  miles  before  us." 

He  led  the  way  to  the  side  of  the  rapid  cur- 
rent, where  the  canoe  with  the  luggage  awaited 
them.  George  and  Victor  Shelton  carefully 
seated  themselves  in  the  stern.  Deerfoot,  first 
laying  his  rifle  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat, 
stepped  after  it  and  caught  up  the  long  paddle, 
placing  himself  well  to  the  front.  Mul-tal-la 
sat  just  far  enough  back  of  him  to  allow  the 
arms  of  both  free  play.  Deerfoot  rested  the 
end  of  his  paddle  against  the  bank,  gave  a  vig- 


PARTING  COMPANY.  34* 

orous  shove,  the  boat  swung  into  the  current^ 
and  the  long,  arduous  voyage  began. 

The  boys,  who  were  watching  their  dusky 
friend,  saw  that  he  studiously  avoided  looking 
back,  but  kept  his  attention  upon  the  manage- 
ment of  the  boat.  He  did  this  until  they 
reached  a  bend  in  the  stream,  when  apparently 
he  could  stand  it  no  longer.  Eesting  his  paddle 
across  the  gunwales,  while  Mul-tal-la  attended 
to  the  craft,  Deerfoot  turned  his  head  and  cast 
a  long,  lingering  look  behind  him.  George  and 
Victor  did  the  same. 

The  group  of  Nez  Perces  were  still  there, 
gazing  after  the  canoe  and  its  occupants^ 
Amokeat  could  be  recognized  at  the  front,  but 
in  advance  of  him  stood  Whirlwind,  with  head 
high  in  air,  his  perfect  outlines  stamped  as  if 
with  ink  against  the  gaudy  background  of  color, 
the  slight  wind  blowing  his  luxuriant  mane  and 
tail  aside,  while  he  watched  his  master  rapidly 
fading  from  view. 

When  he  saw  the  face  of  Deerfoot  he  whin- 
nied in  recognition.  The  Shawanoe  waved  his 
hand,  and  those  who  looked  at  him  observed 
the  tears  in  his  eyes.  The  next  minute  the  bend 
in  the  river  shut  horse  and  master  from  sight 
of  each  other. 


342  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

Facing  down  stream  Deerfoot  plied  his  pad- 
dle with  a  power  that  sent  the  boat  swiftly  with 
the  current.  He  had  taken  less  than  a  dozen 
strokes  when  he  abruptly  ceased  and  sat  as 
motionless  as  a  statue. 

'  '  Do  you  know  what  that  means  ? ' '  whispered 
Victor. 

"I  suppose  it  is  because  he  feels  bad." 

"No;  he  felt  worse  when  he  was  paddling 
so  hard.  He  is  asking  himself  whether  he 
ought  not  to  turn  back  and  bring  Whirlwind 
with  him.  It  won't  take  much  to  make  him 
change  his  mind.'7 

Victor  was  right.  That  was  the  question  the 
Shawanoe  was  debating  with  himself,  and  more 
than  once  he  was  on  the  point  of  acting  upon 
the  impulse  to  undo  what  had  just  been  done. 
Mul-tal-la  suspected  the  truth.  He  believed  the 
return  would  take  place.  So  he  also  stopped 
paddling  and  waited  for  the  word. 

The  cessation  turned  the  question  the  other 
way.  Deerfoot  did  not  look  around  again,  but 
dipped  the  paddle  deep  in  the  roiled  current, 
making  his  sweeping  strokes  on  one  side  and 
leaving  to  the  Blackfoot  to  preserve  the  poise 
by  doing  the  same  on  the  other  side  of  the  boat. 


PARTING  COMPANY.  343 

It  was  fortunate,  perhaps,  that  Deerfoot  and 
Mul-tal-la  were  compelled  to  give  attention  to 
the  management  of  the  craft,  for  the  river 
abounded  with  rapids,  most  of  which  were  dan- 
gerous. Often  a  single  false  stroke  would  have 
sent  the  boat  against  the  rocks  which  reared 
their  heads  in  every  part  of  the  stream.  Some 
protruded  several  feet  above  the  surface,  some 
only  a  few  inches,  while  others  were  located  by 
the  peculiar  eddying  of  the  current  as  it  whirled 
over  and  past  them.  These  were  the  most  to 
be  feared,  for  they  would  rip  out  the  bottom  of 
the  canoe  like  the  sweep  of  a  broadaxe.  But 
you  know  the  consummate  skill  of  the  young 
Shawanoe  in  handling  a  canoe.  His  quick  eye, 
his  unerring  stroke,  his  great  power,  his  instant 
decision  and  faultless  judgment  had  been 
trained  from  early  boyhood  on  the  streams  of 
the  East,  and,  though  he  was  now  passing  down 
a  river  he  had  never  seen  before,  he  read  all 
its  * '  signs ' '  as  you  would  read  a  printed  page. 

And  the  Blackfoot  was  hardly  inferior,  for 
he  had  passed  through  long  and  severe  train- 
ing, and  he  handled  his  paddle  like  an  expert. 
Where  both  were  so  skilful  they  worked 
smoothly  together.  Sometimes  the  Blackfoot 


344  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES, 

•called  out  a  warning  to  Deerfoot,  but  soon 
found  it  was  unnecessary,  for  the  youth  was  as 
quick,  if  not  quicker  than  he,  to  detect  the  snags, 
rocks,  eddies,  bars  and  all  manner  of  obstruc- 
tions. 

The  shores  were  wooded  and  rocky  at  times, 
and  now  and  then  the  explorers  saw  one  or  more 
Indians,  who  paused  on  the  banks  and  surveyed 
them  as  they  sped  past.  Generally  one  or  both 
of  the  red  men  in  the  canoe  saluted  the  others, 
and  the  same  friendly  spirit  was  shown  by  the 
strangers.  George  and  Victor  commented  upon 
the  experience  which  impressed  them  as  sin- 
gular, since  it  was  so  different  from  what  they 
were  accustomed  to  at  home. 

The  explanation  was  the  old  one.  These 
Indians  knew  too  little  about  white  civilization 
to  fear  the  palefaces ;  that  fear  would  come  with 
greater  knowledge.  At  intervals  piles  of 
planks  were  observed,  these 'being  the  timber 
from  which  houses  were  built  by  the  natives 
who  came  thither  during  the  fishing  season  to 
catch  salmon  for  the  winter  and  for  trading 
purposes. 

Fuel  was  so  scarce  that  it  was  often  hard 
for  our  friends  to  find  enough  for  a  fire  when 


PARTING  COMPANY.  345 

they  went  ashore  to  camp  for  the  night.  Victor 
and  George  proposed  to  supply  themselves 
from  the  piles  that  had  been  left  by  the  fisher- 
men, with  the  understanding  that  the  owners 
should  be  repaid  if  they  could  be  found;  but 
Deerfoot  would  not  permit  it.  He  said  they 
had  no  reason  to  believe  they  would  ever  meet 
the  owners,  and  it  was  wrong  to  use  their  prop- 
erty without  permission.  So  all  had  to  shiver 
in  their  blankets  and  go  to  bed  hungry. 

Watchfulness  generally  prevented  much  suf- 
fering on  account  of  this  deprivation.  Bits  of 
driftwood  were  picked  up  at  several  points,  so 
that  at  dusk  the  party  had  enough  for  cooking 
purposes,  but  on  the  fifth  evening  they  found 
themselves  without  a  stick  of  fuel,  though 
encamped  within  a  few  rods  of  a  pile  of  lumber. 
Deerfoot  was  inexorable,  and  all  had  settled 
themselves  for  the  night  when  three  Indians 
came  down  the  bank  for  a  social  call.  They 
had  seen  the  canoe  put  into  shore,  but  were 
timid  at  first,  though  they  recognized  two  of 
the  occupants  as  belonging  to  their  race.  One 
of  the  visitors  had  never  seen  a  white  man 
before.  Their  wondering  scrutiny  of  the 
brothers  made  the  latter  laugh.  Victor  rolled 


346  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

up  his  sleeve  to  show  the  whiteness  of  the  skin. 
The  three  grunted  and  seemed  filled  with 
amazement.  He  who  met  a  Caucasian  for  the 
first  time  kept  up  a  series  of  grunts,  passed  his 
hand  gently  over  the  faces  of  the  lad,  looked 
into  his  eyes,  and  then  made  Deerfoot,  Mul- 
tal-la  and  George  laugh  by  his  attempts  to  pluck 
out  the  tiny,  feathery  hairs  that  were  beginning 
to  show  on  the  boy's  upper  lip,  and  which,  if  left 
to  themselves,  would  in  due  time  grow  into  an 
attractive  mustache. 

" A-o-uah !  what  are  you  trying  to  do?"  called 
Victor,  recoiling,  the  involuntary  tears  coming 
into  his  eyes  because  of  the  smarts  made  by  the 
nails  of  the  Indian's  thumb  and  forefinger. 

"He  never  saw  anything  like  that  before," 
said  George.  "I  don't  wonder  he  is  puzzled." 

"He  wishes  to  shave  my  brother,"  gravely 
explained  Deerfoot.  "When  the  hairs  come  on 
his  own  face  he  plucks  them  out.  He  would  do 
the  same  with  my  brother." 

"I'll  do  my  own  shaving  when  the  time 
comes;  let  him  understand  that,"  said  Victor, 
showing  his  displeasure  so  plainly  that  the 
visitor  gravely  desisted. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

DOWN  THE  COLUMBIA. 

THE  Blackfoot  was  gratified  to  find  him- 
self   able    to    understand    the    jargon 
spoken  by  the  visitors,  although  he  did 
not   know   to    what   tribe    they    belonged.    A 
marked  similarity  showed  between  many  words 
in  the  two  tongues,  and  conversation  progressed 
better  than  would  have  been  supposed,  Deer- 
foot  being  able  to  comprehend  almost  as  much 
as  his  friend. 

Night  was  closing  in,  and  the  fact  that  the 
explorers  did  not  start  a  fire  when  such  an 
abundance  of  fuel  was  at  hand  clearly  surprised 
the  strangers.  They  looked  at  the  ground  and 
then  pointed  to  the  lumber.  He  who  was  appar- 
ently the  leader  began  talking  earnestly  to  Mul- 
tal-la.  His  meaning  soon  became  clear.  He 
was  urging  him  and  his  friends  to  make  use  of 
the  timber.  The  Blackfoot  shook  his  head  and 
replied  they  could  not  take  it  without  the 

347 


348  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

sent  of  the  owner.  The  leader  grinned  and  said 
it  belonged  to  him  and  the  two  men  with  him. 

That  put  another  face  on  the  matter.  Deer- 
foot  told  the  boys  to  go  to  work  and  bring  all 
the  wood  they  needed.  He  sympathized  with 
them,  but  he  would  not  yield  on  a  question  of 
principle.  It  need  not  be  said  that  the  brothers 
did  not  let  the  grass  grow  under  their  feet.  It 
was  almost  cold  enough  for  ice,  but,  more  than 
all,  they  needed  the  fire  for  cooking  the  salmon 
that  had  been  taken  from  the  stream. 

The  visitors  became  very  friendly.  They 
were  armed  with  bows  and  arrows,  and  showed 
a  willingness  to  help  in  gathering  fuel,  but  their 
offer  was  declined,  and  the  steel  and  tinder — 
another  source  of  astonishment  to  them — soon 
set  a  vigorous  blaze  going,  and  the  broiling  fish 
sent  out  a  fragrant  and  appetizing  odor.  There 
was  an  abundance  for  all,  and  the  visitors 
accepted  the  invitation  to  join  in  the  meal. 
They  ate  sparingly,  as  if  afraid  of  depriving 
their  hosts  of  what  they  needed,  and  when 
through,  each  produced  a  long-stemmed  pipe, 
filled  it  with  tobacco,  and  smoked  with  apparent 
enjoyment. 

The  strangers  remained  for  an  hour  after 


DOVN  THE  COLUMBIA.  349 

the  meal.  Then,  having  smoked  all  that  was  in 
the  bowls,  they  gravely  shook  out  the  ashes, 
carefully  stowed  the  pipes  under  their  blankets, 
and  rose  to  go.  The  leader  beckoned  to  Mul- 
tal-la  to  accompany  him  for  a  few  paces,  so  as 
to  be  beyond  hearing  of  his  friends.  The  Black- 
foot  complied,  and  the  conversation  between  the 
two  may  be  thus  liberally  interpreted : 

"A  bad  Indian  lives  down  the  river,"  said 
the  visitor. 

Mul-tal-la  agreed  to  the  statement  by  a  nod 
of  his  head. 

"He  catches  a  great  many  salmon." 

"I  observe  that  he  isn't  the  only  Indian  who 
does  that." 

"I  do  not  like  him." 

' i  I  am  sure  my  friend  has  good  reason  not  to 
like  him.  He  must  be  very  bad." 

"I  owe  him  much  ill-will.  He  will  be  mad 
when  he  comes  to  build  him  a  home  to  use  while 
he  gathers  salmon." 

"Why  will  he  bemad!" 

"  Because  the  lumber  you  have  used  belonged 
to  him,  and  he  is  gone  so  far  away  that  you  and 
your  friends  cannot  pay  him  for  the  wood; 
therefore  he  will  be  mad  when  he  comes  here 
again. ' ' 


350  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

"I  should  think  he  would  boil  over.  Who 
can  blame  him?" 

Having  delivered  himself  of  this  interesting 
information,  the  visitor  signed  to  his  com- 
panions, and  the  three  strode  off  and  were  seen 
no  more. 

The  humor  of  the  thing  struck  Mul-tal-la,  and 
he  grinned  while  telling  his  story  to  Deerfoot 
and  the  boys.  The  Shawanoe  was  displeased, 
but  had  sufficient  philosophy  to  see  that  there 
was  no  help  for  it.  The  wood  had  been  burned, 
the  food  prepared  and  eaten,  and  though  they 
might  refrain  from  consuming  more  fuel — as 
they  did — the  mischief  could  not  be  undone. 

"I'm  trying  my  best  to  feel  bad  over  it," 
chuckled  Victor  to  his  brother;  "but  somehow 
or  other  I  can't." 

"That's  because  you  don't  feel  as  conscien- 
tious as  Deerfoot." 

"How  is  it  with  you?" 

"I  feel  exactly  like  you;  so  let's  say  no  more 
about  it." 

There  is  no  end  to  the  salmon  in  the  Columbia 
Biver.  At  numerous  islands  mat  houses  were 
seen  where  the  people  were  as  busy  as  beavers 
in  splitting  and  drying  the  fish.  Looking  down 


DOWN  THE  COLUMBIA.  351 

in  the  clear  water  they  could  be  seen  twenty  feet 
below  the  surface,  sometimes  moving  slowly 
and  then  darting  hither  and  thither  so  swiftly 
that  they  looked  like  flitting  patches  of  shadow. 
They  floated  down  stream  at  this  season  in  such 
enormous  quantities  that  winrows  drifted 
ashore  and  the  Indians  had  only  to  gather,  split 
and  dry  them  on  the  scaffolds.  Some  of  the 
people  explained  by  signs  that,  owing  to  the 
scarcity  of  wood,  they  often  used  the  dried  fish 
for  fuel.  The  material  for  the  scaffolds  must 
have  been  brought  from  a  considerable  dis- 
tance, for  no  suitable  wood  was  seen  for  many 
a  mile. 

As  our  friends  descended  the  Columbia  they 
were  compelled  at  times  to  make  portages 
around  the  more  difficult  passages.  The  canoe 
with  its  contents  was  carried  on  the  shoulders 
of  the  four,  who  thus  lightened  what  otherwise 
would  have  been  a  heavy  burden.  Landing  on 
a  small  island  the  explorers  came  upon  an  inter- 
esting vault  which  was  used  by  the  Pishquit- 
pahs  for  the  burial  of  their  dead. 

Large  forked  sticks  had  been  driven  into  the 
ground  at  about  a  man's  height,  and  a  ridge- 
pole, fifty  feet  long,  rested  upon  them.  Over 


352  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

this  were  placed  pieces  of  canoes  and  boards, 
which  slanted  down  to  the  eaves,  and  thus 
formed  a  shed  that  was  open  at  both  ends. 
Impressed  by  the  sight,  the  visitors  peeped  into 
the  interior.  Bodies  wrapped  in  skin  robes 
were  arranged  in  rows,  over  which  a  mat  was 
spread.  Farther  on  skeletons  were  seen,  and 
in  the  middle  of  the  building  was  a  large  pile 
of  bones  thrown  together  without  regard  to 
order.  On  a  mat  at  one  end  of  the  structure 
were  a  score  of  skulls  placed  in  the  form  of  a 
circle.  The  method  of  these  people  was  first 
to  wrap  a  body  in  robes  and,  after  it  had 
decayed,  to  throw  the  bones  in  a  heap  and  put 
the  skulls  together. 

That  the  friends  of  the  departed  kept  them 
in  remembrance  was  shown  by  the  numerous 
fishing  nets,  wooden  bowls,  blankets,  robes, 
skins  and  trinkets  suspended  from  under  the 
roof.  The  sight  of  numerous  skeletons  of 
horses  near  at  hand  indicated  that  the  Pishquit- 
pahs  sacrificed  them  to  their  dead. 

The  manner  in  which  the  Indian  tribes  of  the 
Columbia  formerly  dried  and  packed  their  sal- 
mon may  be  thus  described: 

The  fish  were  first  opened  and  exposed  to 


DOWN  THE  COLUMBIA.  353 

the  sun  on  the  scaffolds.  There  they  remained 
until  perfectly  dry,  when  they  were  pulverized 
by  pounding  between  stones,  and  then  were 
placed  in  a  large  basket,  made  of  grass  and 
rushes  and  lined  with  the  skin  of  a  salmon 
that  had  been  stretched  and  dried  for  the  pur- 
pose. The  fish  were  pressed  down  as  hard  as 
possible  and  the  top  covered  with  fish  skins, 
which  were  tied  by  cords  passing  over  the  top. 
Thus  prepared  the  baskets  were  placed  in  a 
dry  place,  wrapped  up  with  mats,  secured  again 
by  cords,  and  once  more  covered  with  mats. 
Salmon  thus  preserved  will  keep  sweet  for  sev- 
eral years.  Immense  quantities  were  bartered 
to  the  Indians  below  the  falls,  whence  they 
found  their  way  to  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia, 
where  they  were  sold  to  white  visitors. 

George  and  Victor  Shelton  heard  so  many 
reports  of  the  Falls  of  the  Columbia  that  their 
expectations  were  at  a  high  point,  but  the 
reality  was  less  than  they  anticipated.  Their 
height  is  less  than  fifty  feet  in  a  distance  of 
nearly  three-fourths  of  a  mile.  The  first  fall 
was  passed  by  means  of  a  portage  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  in  extent,  for  this  fall  has  a  perpen- 
dicular height  of  twenty  feet.  During  the 


354  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

floods  in  early  spring  the  waters  below  the  falls 
rise  nearly  to  a  level  with  those  above,  and  the 
salmon  pass  up  the  river  in  inconceivable 
numbers. 

Deerfoot  and  Mul-tal-la  watched  with  some 
anxiety  their  approach  to  the  second  fall,  of 
which  their  Indian  friends  had  warned  them. 
They  first  observed  a  smooth  basin,  at  whose 
extremity  on  the  right  bank  rose  an  enormous 
black  rock  which  seemed  to  extend  wholly  across 
the  river.  Since,  however,  the  stream  must 
have  a  channel,  this,  of  course,  was  impossible. 
A  loud  roaring  came  from  the  left,  where  the 
current  ran  more  swiftly.  Climbing  to  the  top 
of  the  rock  it  was  seen  that  the  river  was  com- 
pressed into  a  channel  a  little  more  than  a 
hundred  feet  wide,  in  which  the  water  swirled 
and  eddied  so  furiously  that  the  boys  were  sure 
it  was  impossible  to  steer  the  canoe  through  the 
wild  battle  of  whirlpool  and  rapids. 

But  the  choice  lay  between  that  and  the  labor 
of  carrying  the  boat  over  the  towering  rock  at 
the  expense  of  great  time  and  labor.  Neither 
Deerfoot  nor  Mul-tal-la  hesitated,  and  George 
and  Victor  braced  themselves  for  the  struggle. 
It  proved  to  be  hair-raising.  Gripping  the 


in  the  Rapids. 


DOWN  THE  COLUMBIA.  355 

sides  of  the  canoe,  the  boys  often  held  their 
breath  and  crouched  ready  for  a  leap  and  swim 
for  life,  but  the  coolness  and  skill  of  the  two 
Indians  never  faltered.  Without  speaking  a 
word,  each  understood  on  the  instant  the  right 
thing  to  do,  and  did  it.  Eepeatedly  the  craft 
touched  some  of  the  jagged  dripping  points  of 
rock,  and  an  inch  or  two  more  to  the  right  or 
left  would  have  brought  quick  destruction  to 
the  frail  craft,  but  that  slight  distance  was 
never  passed  and  they  sped  onward  like  a  race 
horse.  A  vicious  wave -would  fling  the  boat 
almost  out  of  the  water,  and  then  a  foaming 
breaker  seemed  about  to  seize  it  in  its  remorse- 
less grasp.  A  moment  later  a  whirlpool  or 
eddy  would  have  spun  the  canoe  around  like  a 
top  but  for  the  powerful  sweep  of  those  two 
paddles,  which  worked  like  the  spokes  of  the 
same  wheel. 

When  the  lads  began  to  breathe  more  freely 
they  would  gasp  and  make  ready  to  spring  into 
the  water,  for  disaster  seemed  rushing  upon 
them,  but  the  swarthy,  muscular  forms  never 
wavered  nor  lost  control.  George  and  Victor 
had  been  with  Deerfoot  in  many  situations  of 
peril,  but  they  were  sure  he  never  displayed 


356  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

such  skill  as  when  guiding  the  craft  through 
these  rapids.  Being  at  the  front,  his  hand  was 
the  master  one,  but,  as  I  have  said,  it  was  as  if 
the  same  impulse  guided  the  arms  of  Shawanoe 
and  Blackfoot. 

This  wild  charge  lasted  for  half  a  mile,  when 
the  river  expanded  to  a  width  of  two  hundred 
yards ;  but  before  the  brothers  could  find  much 
comfort  in  the  fact  the  situation  suddenly 
became  more  trying  than  ever.  The  channel 
was  divided  by  two  rocky  islands,  the  lower 
and  larger  being  in  the  middle  of  the  river. 
Few  Indians  dared  risk  a  passage  past  these 
obstructions,  but  the  Shawanoe  and  Blackfoot 
took  it  without  a  moment's  hesitation,  and, 
shipping  a  little  water,  sped  through  without 
mishap.  Turning  into  a  deep  bend  of  the  river 
on  the  right  the  explorers  went  into  camp  for 
the  night. 

A  short  distance  below  was  a  village  of  some 
twenty  houses,  in  which  lived  a  tribe  of  Indians 
called  Echeloots,  who  belong  to  the  Upper 
Chinooks.  They  were  hospitable  to  the  visitors, 
who  noted  several  interesting  peculiarities  in 
them,  of  whom  only  a  very  few  survivors  now 
exist.  For  the  first  time  in  their  travels  among 


DOWN  THE  COLUMBIA.  357 

the  Indians  our  friends  saw  wooden  houses. 
They  were  rude  structures,  whose  chimneys 
consisted  of  a  single  hole  each,  with  a  small  door 
at  the  gable  end,  which  was  partly  Bunder- 
ground. 

You  have  heard  of  the  Flathead  Indians,  also 
called  Salish  or  Selish,  who  used  to  live  in  a 
part  of  the  present  State  of  Washington. 
To-day  they  number  about  a  thousand.  They 
are  short  of  stature,  badly  formed,  with  large 
nostrils  and  thick  lips  and  nose.  It  was  for- 
merly their  practice  to  flatten  the  heads  of  their 
children  during  infancy,  when  the  bones  are 
soft  and  yielding,  and  from  which  fact  came 
their  popular  name. 

At  the  time  of  the  visit  of  our  friends  the 
strange  practice  prevailed  among  the  Echeloots, 
as  it  did  with  nearly  all  the  tribes  of  the  Chinook 
family  on  the  Columbia.  The  flattening  of  the 
skull  was  not  done  by  pressure  upon  the  crown, 
as  you  might  suppose,  but  by  binding  a  flat 
board  on  the  forehead  of  an  infant.  A  little 
way  above  the  crown  this  board  joined  the 
upper  end  of  the  plank  upon  which  the  child 
was  stretched  on  its  back,  but  the  two  boards 
diverged  as  they  extended  in  the  direction  of 


358  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

the  feet.  You  will  understand  the  process  bet- 
ter if  you  will  think  of  the  letter  V  lying  on  one 
side,  with  the  head  of  the  infant  thrust  as  far 
as  possible  into  the  narrow  end.  This  brought 
the  pressure  over  the  upper  part  of  the  fore- 
head, which  was  gradually  forced  down  until 
from  the  eyebrows  to  the  extreme  rear  of  the 
crown  was  a  single  slope  like  that  of  the  roof 
of  a  house.  The  skull  rose  into  a  peak  behind 
and  sloped  away,  as  I  have  said,  to  the  ridge 
of  the  eyebrows. 

An  Indian  who  had  been  subjected  to  this 
senseless  treatment  was  shockingly  deformed, 
and  no  one  could  look  upon  such  creatures  with- 
out a  feeling  of  repulsion.  Nevertheless,  the 
process  did  not  injure  the  brain  nor  diminish  its 
volume.  A  warrior  who  had  been  made  a  "flat 
head"  knew  just  as  much  as  if  his  brain  had 
been  left  to  grow  as  nature  intended. 

For  centuries  the  Chinese  have  compressed 
the  feet  of  their  females;  the  Flatheads  have 
forced  the  heads  of  their  infants  out  of  shape, 
and  the  Caucasian  women  have  squeezed  their 
waists  into  the  narrowest  possible  limits.  A 
careful  comparison  of  the  three  crimes  must 
lead  us  to  think  that  the  last-named  is  the  most 
injurious  and,  therefore,  the  most  criminal. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

AT  LAST. 

INTERESTING   and   thrilling   as   was    the 
descent  of  the  Columbia,  a  detailed  descrip- 
tion of  the  voyage  of  the  little  party  of 
explorers    would    become    monotonous.     They 
were  hardly  ever  out  of  sight  of  Indians,  all  of 
whom  were  friendly,  although  precautions  had 
to  be  taken  against  many  of  them  that  were 
thieves  and  eager  to  steal  anything  upon  which 
they  could  lay  hands. 

You  need  not  be  told  that  the  Columbia  is  one 
of  the  most  important  rivers  on  our  continent. 
The  scenery  in  many  places  is  picturesque, 
grand  and  inspiring.  The  boys  felt  that  the 
sight  was  well  worth  the  journey  across  the 
country.  Their  enjoyment  increased  day  after 
day  as  they  drew  near  the  sea.  Game  was  so 
abundant  that  they  never  lacked  for  food,  and 
the  Indians  were  always  ready  to  share  with 
them.  At  different  times  they  saw  natives  who 
gave  evidence  of  having  met  white  men  at  the 

359 


360  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

mouth  of  the  Columbia.  The*e  were  numbers 
of  guns,  civilized  coats  and  trousers,  brass  but- 
tons and  various  ornaments  which  could  have 
been  obtained  from  no  one  else,  and,  now  and 
then,  some  intelligent  Indian  showed  himself 
able  to  speak  a  few  words  of  English. 

One  of  the  counties  in  the  present  State  of 
Washington  is  Wahkiacum,  which  received  its 
name  from  a  tribe  of  Indians  that  have  been 
extinct  for  years.  Our  friends  paid  a  visit  to 
a  Wahkiacum  village  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
river.  After  procuring  some  food  and  a  beaver 
skin,  the  explorers  climbed  to  the  crest  of  an 
adjoining  hill  and  with  feelings  of  expectant 
wonder  gazed  to  the  westward. 

At  last !  As  the  vision  ranged  over  plain  and 
wood  and  elevation  they  saw  stretching  away 
to  the  horizon  the  mightiest  expanse  of  water 
on  the  globe.  North,  west,  south,  rolled  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  extending  at  its  widest  part  to 
more  than  one-third  of  the  distance  around  the 
world. 

No  one  spoke,  but,  grouped  together,  the  spy- 
glass was  silently  passed  from  one  to  the  other, 
and  each  gazed  in  rapt  admiration  and  awe. 
George  first  offered  the  instrument  to  Deerfoot. 


AT  LAST.  36* 

but  he  shook  his  head.  He  then  handed  it  to 
Mul-tal-la,  but  he  also  declined,  as  did  Victor, 
and  then  George  leveled  the  instrument  and 
held  it  for  several  minutes,  while  the  others 
made  the  best  use  they  could  of  their  eyes. 
Finally  George  sighed  and  passed  the  glass  to 
his  brother.  When  he  had  finished  he  proffered 
it  to  the  Shawanoe,  but  he  indicated  by  a 
gesture  that  Mul-tal-la 's  was  the  next  turn. 

At  last  Deerf oot,  standing  erect,  with  his  gun 
leaning  against  a  near  boulder,  where  his  com- 
panions had  placed  -their  weapons,  slowly 
directed  the  instrument  westward,  while  all 
looked  at  him  instead  of  at  the  ocean. 

The  Shawanoe 's  eye  roved  over  the  immense 
expanse,  as  he  gradually  shifted  his  gaze  from 
point  to  point.  Over  hundreds  of  square  miles 
nothing  was  to  be  seen  but  the  limitless  waste 
of  waters.  Eidges  of  foam  and  a  faint  roar 
showed  where  the  long  swells  broke  upon  the 
beach.  From  the  tops  of  cone-like  lodges 
climbed  little  twisting  wreaths  of  smoke, 
indicating  the  villages  of  the  dusky  inhabitants 
of  the  region  between  the  ocean  and  the  spec- 
tators. 

Deerfoot  now  descried  something  which  the 


362  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

others  had  not  seen.  In  a  direct  line  to  the 
westward  and  almost  on  the  rim  of  the  horizon 
was  a  tiny  white  object,  like  a  peculiarly  shaped 
cloud  that  would  soon  dissolve  into  thin  air. 
It  was  a  ship,  and  the  snowy  spread  was  its 
sails  that  caught  the  favoring  breeze. 

The  vessel  was  many  miles  distant  and  head- 
ing for  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia.  It  was  the 
only  vessel  visible  in  that  vast  sweep  of  ocean. 
The  Indian  watched  it  as  it  gradually  grew 
more  distinct.  He  wondered  as  to  the  people 
on  board,  and  speculated  as  to  what  part  of 
the  world  they  had  come  from.  He  finally  low- 
ered the  instrument  and  peered  in  the  direction 
without  the  artificial  help.  Yes;  he  could  now 
see  the  vessel  with  the  eye  alone. 

Pointing  toward  the  right  point  he  handed 
the  glass  to  George  Shelton  and  said : 

"Let  my  brother  look." 

The  lad  did  so  and  the  next  moment  ex- 
claimed : 

* '  It  is  a  ship !      Victor,  you  must  see  it ! " 

"I  do,"  replied  the  other,  who  nevertheless 
took  the  spyglass,  which  was  next  passed  to 
Mul-tal-la.  Then  it  went  around  in  turn  again, 
and  the  feast  of  vision  was  enjoyed  to  the  full. 


AT  LAST.  363 

For  an  hour  the  party  held  their  place  on  the 
elevation,  studying  the  sea  and  the  grand  and 
varied  panorama  spread  before  them.  They 
could  have  stayed  all  day  and  been  content,  for 
there  was  much  that  was  impressive  in  the 
thought  that  they  had  reached  the  end  of  their 
long  journey  over  mountain,  through  tangled 
wilderness  and  across  prairie  and  river.  Vic- 
tor Shelton  suggested  that  they  should  keep  on 
down  the  Columbia  to  the  mouth  and  take  a  bath 
in  the  chilling  waters  of  the  Pacific,  but  Deer- 
foot  shook  his  head.  -It  had  been  the  under- 
standing from  the  first  that  they  were  to  press 
westward  until  they  saw  the  ocean,  but  to  go  no 
farther.  They  had  touched  tidewater  some 
time  before,  and  could  feel  that  at  times  they 
were  really  paddling  through  the  waters  of  the 
Pacific.  It  would  take  several  days  to  reach 
the  mouth  of  the  river  and  time  had  become 
valuable.  The  season  was  so  far  advanced  that 
winter  would  be  upon  them  by  the  time  or  before 
they  arrived  in  the  Blackfoot  country,  for  a 
good  deal  of  the  return  journey  must,  from  its 
nature,  prove  much  more  laborious  than  the  one 
just  completed  had  been. 

Deerfoot  unexpectedly  revealed  one  cause  of 


364  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

anxiety.  He  was  disquieted  over  Whirlwind, 
whom  he  had  left  with  Amokeat,  the  Nez  Perce 
chieftain.  He  could  not  free  himself  of  the 
belief  that  trouble  was  to  come  from  what  he 
declared  was  a  wrong  act  on  his  part.  Had 
the  stallion  been  only  an  ordinary  " every  day" 
animal,  the  owner  would  have  felt  no  concern, 
but  the  steed  was  sure  to  be  coveted  by  more 
than  one  warrior,  and  Amokeat  could  not  have 
understood  the  worth  of  the  treasure  lie  had 
undertaken  to  guard  and  keep  for  the  return 
of  the  owner. 

1  i  Deerf  oot  did  not  use  Whirlwind  right, ' '  said 
the  Shawanoe,  shaking  his  head.  "The  heart 
of  Whirlwind  was  grieved  when  he  saw  Deer- 
foot  leave  him." 

"But,"  said  Victor,  sympathizing  with  the 
depression  of  his  friend,  "he  is  so  wise  a 
creature  he  surely  understood  why  you  left 
him." 

"Yes;  he  understood,  and  that  is  why  his 
heart  was  sad,  for  he  knew  that  Deerfoot  had 
no  right  to  treat  him  so." 

The  Blackfoot  now  summed  up  the  question 
by  a  remark  with  which  the  brothers  ardently 
agreed. 


AT  LAST.  365 

"They  will  not  kill  Whirlwind,  for  they  have 
no  reason  to  do  so.  He  will  be  alive  somewhere; 
he  will  seek  Deerfoot  and  Deerfoot  will  hunt 
for  Whirlwind,  and  he  will  find  him!" 

The  boys  noted  the  flash  in  the  eyes  of  the 
Shawanoe  as  he  said : 

"Yes;  Deerfoot  will  find  him  if  he  has  to 
hunt  many  moons  and  follow  Whirlwind  among 
tribes  that  are  hundreds  of  miles  away  and  who 
seek  the  life  of  Deerfoot. ' ' 

All  understood  the  feelings  of  the  youth  who 
thus  condemned  himself  for  an  act  whose  wis- 
dom at  the  most  was  an  open  question. 

Having  uttered  the  words,  the  Shawanoe 
showed  an  indisposition  to  say  anything  further 
about  the  matter.  He  took  the  spyglass  from  the 
hands  of  George  and  once  more  pointed  it  at  the 
incoming  ship.  He  could  make  out  the  sails 
more  plainly,  and  even  caught  the  white  rim  of 
foam  curling  from  the  bow.  He  noted  too  that 
the  wind  was  blowing  briskly  enough  to  make 
the  vessel  careen  considerably  under  the  impulse 
of  the  bellying  canvas. 

As  it  was  still  early  in  the  day,  it  was  evident 
the  ship  would  be  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  by 
nightfall.  It  would  have  been  an  interesting 


366  DEERFOOT  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

visit  if  the  little  party  had  pressed  on  and  met 
the  captain  and  his  crew.  It  is  not  impossible, 
too,  that  had  it  not  been  for  Deerfoot's  anxiety 
over  his  horse  he  would  have  modified  the 
original  plan  to  the  extent  of  rounding  out  the 
journey  across  the  continent  by  touching  the 
Pacific  itself. 

But  after  all,  what  did  it  matter?  The  con- 
tinent had  already  been  crossed  and,  as  the 
leader  had  said,  the  days  and  nights  had  become 
of  the  utmost  value.  Mul-tal-la  believed  it  was 
safe  to  return  to  his  people,  and  in  point  of  fact 
he  had  grown  homesick.  Moreover,  there  was 
something  in  the  fact  that  they  were  so  many 
hundred  miles  from  home  that  made  George  and 
Victor  Shelton  quite  ready  to  give  up  the  plan 
of  going  any  farther. 

And  so  our  friends  now  turned  their  backs 
upon  the  Pacific  and  once  more  faced  eastward. 
"Now  for  home !"  was  the  thought  in  the  minds 
of  all  four. 

And  here  we  must  pause  for  the  time.     The 

incidents  through  which  our  friends  passed  and 

their  adventures  will  be  told  in  the  final  volume 

of  the  NEW  DEEEFOOT  SERIES,  under  the  title  of 

"DEEBFOOT  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS." 

[THE  END.] 


THE  JOHN   C.   WINSTON   CO/S    POPULAR   JUVENILES, 


J.  T.  TROWBRIDGE. 

NEITHER  as  a  writer  does  he  stand  apart  from  the  great 
currents  of  life  and  select  some  exceptional  phase  or  odd 
combination  of  circumstances.  He  stands  on  the  common 
level  and  appeals  to  the  universal  heart,  and  all  that  he  sug- 
gests or  achieves  is  on  the  plane  and  in  the  line  of  march  of 
the  great  body  of  humanity. 

The  Jack  Hazard  series  of  stories,  published  in  the  late 
Our  Young  Folks,  and  continued  in  the  first  volume  of  St. 
Nicholas,  under  the  title  of  "Fast  Friends,"  is  no  doubt 
destined  to  hold  a  high  place  in  this  class  of  literature.  The 
delight  of  the  boys  in  them  (and  of  their  seniors,  too)  is 
well  founded.  They  go  to  the  right  spot  every  time.  Trow- 
bridge  knows  the  heart  of  a  boy  like  a  book,  and  the  heart 
of  a  man,  too,  and  he  has  laid  them  both  open  in  these  books 
in  a  most  successful  manner.  Apart  from  the  qualities  that 
render  the  series  so  attractive  to  all  young  readers,  they 
have  great  value  on  account  of  their  portraitures  of  American, 
country  life  and  character.  The  drawing  is  wonderfully 
accurate,  and  as  spirited  as  it  is  true.  The  constable,  Sel- 
lick,  is  an  original  character,  and  as  minor  figures  where  will 
we  find  anything  better  than  Miss  Wansey,  and  Mr.  P.  Pip- 
kin, Esq.  The  picture  of  Mr.  Dink's  school,  too,  is  capital, 
and  where  else  in  fiction  is  there  a  better  nick-name  than 
that  the  boys  gave  to  poor  little  Stephen  Treadwell,  "  Step 
Hen,"  as  he  himself  pronounced  his  name  in  an  unfortunate 
moment  when  he  saw  it  in  print  for  the  first  time  in  his  les- 
son in  school. 

On  the  whole,  these  books  are  very  satisfactory,  and 
afford  the  critical  reader  the  rare  pleasure  of  the  works  that 
are  just  adequate,  that  easily  fulfill  themselves  and  accom- 
plish all  they  set  out  to  dQ.—Scribner's  Monthly. 


THE  JOHN  C.  WINSTON  CO.'S  POPULAR  JUVENILES. 
JACK  HAZARD  SERIES. 

6  Tola.  By  J.  T.  TROWBR1DGE  $7.25 

lack  Hazard  and  His  Fortunes      Doing  His  Best. 
The  Young  Surveyor.  A  Chance  for  Himself. 

Fast  Friends.  Lawrence's  Adventures. 

CHARLES  ASBURY  STEPHENS. 

"This  author  wrote  his  "Camping  Out  Series"  at  the  very 
height  of  his  mental  and  physical  powers. 

"We  do  not  wonder  at  the  popularity  of  these  books ;  there 
Is  a  freshness  and  variety  about  them,  and  an  enthusiasm  in 
the  description  of  sport  and  adventure,  which  even  the  older 
folk  can  hardly  fail  to  share." — Worcester  Spy. 

"The  author  of  the  Camping  Out  Series  is  entitled  to  rank 
as  decidedly  at  the  head  of  what  may  be  called  boys'  litera- 
ture."— Buffalo  Courier. 

CAMPING  OUT  SERIES. 

By  C.  A.  STEPHENS. 

AH  books  in  this  series  are  12mo.  with  eight  full  page  illustra- 
tions.   Cloth,  extra,  75  cents. 

CAMPING  OUT.     As  Recorded  by  "  Kit." 

"This  book  is  bright,  breezy,  wholesome,  instructive,  and 
stands  above  the  ordinary  boys'  books  of  the  day  by  a  whole 
head  and  shoulders." — The  Christian  Register,  Boston. 

LEFT  ON  LABRADOR;  OR,  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  SCHOONER  YACHT 

"CURLEW."    As  Recorded  by  "Wash." 
"The    perils    of    the    voyagers,    the    narrow    escapes,    their 
strange  expedients,  and  the  fun  and  jollity  when  danger  had 
passed,   will   make  boys   even   unconscious   of  hunger." — Neic 
Bedford  Mercury. 
OFF  TO  THE  GEYSERS;  OR  THE  YOUNG  YACHTERS  IN  ICELAND.    A» 

Recorded  by  "Wade." 

"It  is  difficult  to  believe  that  Wade  and  Read  and  Kit  and 
"Wash  were  not  live  boys,  sailng  up  Hudson  Straits,  and 
reigning  temporarily  over  an  Esquimaux  tribe." — The  Inde- 
pendent, New  York. 

LYNX  HUNTING:  From  Notes  by  the  Author  of  "Camping  Out." 
"Of  first  quality  as  a  boys'  book,  and  fit  to  take  its  place 
beside  the  best." — Richmond  Enguirer. 

Fox  HUNTING.    As  Recorded  by  "Raed." 

"The  most  spirited  and  entertaining  book  that  has  as  yet 
appeared.     It  overflows     with  incident,  and  is  characterized 
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Recorded  by  "Wash." 

"Gives  vivid  pictures  of  Brazilian  adventure  and  scenery." 
— Buffalo  Courier. 


